Are You Underwhelmed, Overwhelmed, or Just Whelmed?

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Baptism, Church, Commitment, Romans

Many years ago, a friend of mine and I went to another church to hear a visiting preacher they had brought in to speak for about a week’s worth of services.  After the sermon and services were over, and we were back in the privacy of the car, I wryly asked, “Well, what did you think of the sermon?”  I’ll never forget his matter-of-fact reply, “I was underwhelmed,” he said.  I expected some sort of answer like that, which is why I waited until we were in the car to ask, but I didn’t expect that particular one!  “Underwhelmed” was a word which I had never heard, but immediately added to my vocabulary because it so appropriately fit.  I too had been underwhelmed by the lesson! Though nothing said was overtly unscriptural, the points being made lacked real relevancy, and were produced with a blustering passion and zeal which was therefore misguided, and thus fell flat.  James and I were both underwhelmed. But this got me to thinking…

Have you ever been underwhelmed with regard to some spiritually-oriented expectation?  Perhaps becoming a “Christian” wasn’t exactly what you expected.  Naaman certainly wasn’t a “Christian,” but surely was underwhelmed when Elisha didn’t even come out of the house to heal his leprosy, let alone make a grand spectacle of it, but instead just word by a messenger for him to go dip in the Jordan, 2Kings 5:9ff.  We too can be underwhelmed if we’re expecting some bright-light experience or some extravagant ceremony to achieve salvation.  Jesus, like Elisha, kept becoming “clean” simple, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved…”  Mark 16:16.  Salvation is a spiritual cleansing of the soul, not a carnal gratification for our egos.  If you’re underwhelmed with Christianity, you’re probably doing it wrong; and likely for the wrong reasons. You’ve probably made it about you, rather than Christ. “I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led away from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ,” 2Corinthians 11:3.  

Have you ever been overwhelmed, or at least felt that way, at the notion of becoming or being a Christian?  Becoming a Christian should be an overwhelming experience, at least in the strictest sense of the word. It should completely engulf you.  But you shouldn’t be exasperated by becoming one, or by trying to remain one.  There is no doubt that living a Christian life is challenging, and can be quite difficult at times.  Read Romans 7:15-24 and realize that even Paul sometimes shared that perspective.  But again, if you’re overwhelmed at the prospects of living a Christian life, then you’re probably doing it wrong.  You’re probably trying to do it on your own: without appropriating the power of prayer, cf. James 1:2-5; without taking full advantage of the education, edification, and encouragement of fellow Christians in the local church, Ephesians 4:11-16; and without realizing that “it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure,” Philippians 2:13.  God does not want you to “exasperate” (or overwhelm) our children (Colossians 3:21), and He doesn’t do that you either- at least not if you live as He directs.

We’ve covered being both under and overwhelmed, but have you ever been truly whelmed?  Yes, that’s a real word.  It means: “to engulf or submerge in water” (Encarta Dictionary).  Ah, we’re back to baptism since biblical baptism is an immersion in water!  If this is doubted, just check Colossians 2:12 again, and ask yourself this question:  Do you “bury” someone by sprinkling or pouring a little dirt on him, or do you submerge and engulf him with dirt?  Biblical baptism is a “burial” through which we become “dead to sin,” and are then “resurrected” to a new life (and thus are “born again”) when we come up out of the water, Romans 6:3-4.  If you haven’t been biblically baptized for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:38), you still have them.

Friend, being properly whelmedby having your sins “washed away” through faith and baptism (Acts 22:16) will go a long way toward keeping you from being either under or overwhelmed in your walk of faith!  Please read your Bible and think about it.

Comments (0) | May 15, 2012

Electronic Bibles

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Psalms

Many years ago there was a minor controversy, being promulgated by some at least, over which version of the Bible Christians should use.  A preacher from another congregation, in an apparent attempt to engage me in the squabble, asked me what I thought (which can be dangerous, as some of you know).  I responded with something along these lines, “Well, I just try to get our folks to pick one and read it!”  I still feel that way.  Oh sure, I have my favorite translation, and others I like, and some for which I don’t particularly care, but the lack of Bible reading is a much bigger problem than which one is read!

That was then, this is now.  Recently, I was asked about the “electronic bibles” so many are using- you know, the ones that are on a cell phone or some other handheld device.  Admittedly, I have teased some of you about your “phone” bibles and “i-whatever” bibles- especially when they didn’t work properly for some reason. My duct-taped and glued-back-together bible doesn’t need a battery or “service” to operate!  I’ve also recently visited with some preachers that love and have begun using some form of an electronic bible themselves.  But I have heard others express a strong dislike of looking up and seeing a sizeable portion of the congregation looking at their phones during the sermon- but their dislike could be motivated by suspicion that their congregants are playing Angry Bird, checking Facebook, or texting one another about the length of the sermon instead of reading along from the sacred text!

There are a couple of reality checks that seem appropriate here: 1) technology will continue to march on, and many church members will happily join the ranks- so get over it; the Word of God is not “bad” in any form that is accurate; besides, it is not the form (parchment, vellum, genuine leather-bound, paperback, or electronic) that makes the text “sacred”- it’s the Source, 1Thess.2:13; and,  2) church members who want to do something other than pay attention to the sermon were doing so long before electronic devices hit the scene, and will continue to do so whatever particular distraction is employed; such is a heart problem, not a device problem, Matt.13:15. 

But I would like you to consider something else along these lines.  We change our cell phones about every two years at least, if not more often.   Why?  Is it because the contract is up, and we can?  Is it because the “latest and greatest” one is out and we “just have to have” one?  Or, is it because our “old” one is worn out and no longer works properly?  Although I’m not really interested in or concerned with how often you change cell phones, or how much and for what reasons you use them, let me ask a question: By comparison, how often do you change bibles, for what reasons, and how much do you use it (in whatever form)?

Though many of us change cell phones regularly because a new and better one that does more stuff comes along, or because we simply wear them out through excessive use, or because we lose them because we take them everywhere we go and it’s bound to happen sooner or later, we’ve had the same Bible for years.  Some adults still have the same Bible they were given as children because they’ve never seen the need to “upgrade” to an adult version (one with study helps instead of pictures).  Others have pristine bibles because they only get taken to church on Sunday (mornings), and are rarely used at any other time.  Still others have bibles with perfect covers because they stay in the box, on the bookshelf, or on the coffee table between occasional excursions to services instead of being taken with them wherever they go.  The same question asked another way is this: “How many bibles have you worn out?”  Now, how many cell phones have you worn out?  Why is there such a difference in these two numbers?  I’m not against cell phones, but I am for bibles and bible use!

“I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways…Your servant meditates on Your statues…And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes…O how I love Your law!  It is my meditation all the day.”  (Psalms 119:15,23,48,97)  Oh yes, one more thing: your child probably has a “good” cell phone, does he/she have a “good” bible- even one that’s on that “good” phone? 

-PCS

Comments (0) | May 8, 2012

Hearing Well

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Recently, a friend of mine said of a mutual acquaintance of ours, “He doesn’t hear well, and he doesn’t listen well either.”  This statement was a commentary on both the man’s physical difficulties with hearing, and his attitudinal difficulties with listening.  More personally, another friend of mine quotes me as having said to him on multiple occasions (at least as he tells it), “You have vastly over-estimated my interest in this subject.”  So I apparently have the same problem as the first fellow- we don’t always listen well!

Physical impairments are something we’d all much rather avoid, if possible, but over which we often have little control.  As we age, our eyes and ears often lose their strength just as do our arms, legs, heart, lungs, and minds- we just wear out, and there is precious little we can do to avoid it short of dying young.  But the other part- about not listening well, is another matter altogether.

By way of contrast to these things, I recently had the honor of speaking at the funeral of a brother in Christ.  In making preparations for the service, I visited with the family and asked them to describe their loved one, and specifically, to tell me some things about him that impressed them the most.  One of the responses I received, while not surprising at all, was striking with regard to the degree of appreciation they expressed for that particular characteristic in him.  They said, “He was an excellent listener,” and then proceeded to provide many examples of his abilities in this area.  I quickly confessed that he was a much better man than I in that regard (and surely in many others as well).  But it was so moving to hear family members lovingly describe how much they appreciated his ability to, and willingness to, listen well.   And coupled with the opening examples of this article, it emphasized the rarity of the ability to truly “listen well.”

Jesus once spoke disparagingly of His audience, “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn again, and I should heal them.” (Matthew 13:14-15)  In applying Isaiah’s words to His audience, Jesus is not indicating that there was any physical impairment to their eyes or ears, but a spiritual impairment to their hearts!  When one refuses to “see” and “listen” to God’s words, spiritual cardiosclerosis (heart hardening) has surely occurred!

But aside from this obvious spiritual difficulty, why is it that some of us just don’t listen well?  Here are my best guesses:

Perceived Self-Importance.  Quite simply, we’re much more interested in what we have to say than hearing what anyone else has to say.  Consequently, we only really listen for the pauses in their speech so we can interject our own thoughts without so obviously interrupting. This is incongruent with Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfishness of empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself…”

Impatience.  Certainly, this one is related to the previous suggestion.  That is, because we consider what we have to say so much superior to whatever anyone else might say, we don’t have the patience (or courtesy) to sincerely listen to them.  But patience is a “fruit of the Spirit” we Christians are supposed to not only possess, but practice, cf. Galatians 5:22ff!  We are told in James 1:19, “let every one be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”  Is it possible that our difficulties with the second two of these imperatives result from a failure in regard to the first one?

It doesn’t require any special skills to be a good listener to God, or others.  It just requires us to have the right heart- one that is humble, patient, kind, and wise…which is obviously the real problem many of us face.  Let’s all become better listeners by improving our hearts, OK?

Comments (0) | May 1, 2012

Walking Circumspectly: Squirrels, Snakes, and Boards

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Choices, Commitment, Faith, Ephesians

Ephesians 5:15(KJV), “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise…”  I’m not a big fan of the King James Version of the Bible.  My preference away from it has more to do with its antiquated language than perceived inaccuracies of translation.  But in this particular verse (and a few others also for different reasons), I actually prefer it over the more modern-language versions because of its use of the word circumspectly.  None of the other major translations utilize this particular word; they instead generally use words which convey the idea of “walking carefully”- which is OK, I guess, but not as good as it could be.  Let me explain further...

Circumspectlyis translated from two differing Greek terms: blepo, means to look or discern with the eye; and akribos, means diligently, exactly, oraccurately.  So, the literal meaning of circumspectly is that of looking carefully in order to befully aware of your circumstances.  In more simple terms, it means to pay attention where you’re stepping- which in this case, refers to our walk of life. Perhaps an illustration will help.

There is nothing that will ruin a good squirrel hunt quicker than for someone in the group to see a snake, or hear one rattle.  The reason this ruins the hunt is simple: instead of looking up into the trees where the squirrels are, everyone is now watching the ground where the snakes are!  The squirrel hunters are now hunting snakes instead of squirrels, but they’re walking circumspectly!  Every step, after seeing a snake, hearing one rattle, or even just hearing that someone nearby has seen one, will be taken only after a thorough examination the landing area.

If we further understand that Satan is “that old serpent” (Revelation 12:9) who “beguiled Eve through his subtlety” (2Corinthians 11:3), then need for walking circumspectly is readily apparent.  Satan has filled the pathway of life with many dangers.  Therefore, for one desiring to please God in his walk of faith, every step must be carefully taken only after a diligent examination of the area into which he’s stepping.  To do otherwise, as our verse in Ephesians 5:15 indicated, is “foolish” indeed.  The problem is that Satan often pays closer attention to our steps than do we. 

There is a sticky note stuck on the bottom of my computer screen on which I jotted a phrase, the source of which has been forgotten.  The phrase is this: “falling through the cracks of my attention.”  When building a floor, cracks (spaces) are put between the boards for a number of reasons, one of which is to cover more area with fewer boards.  But this “stretching” of the wood also means an increased opportunity for things to fall through the cracks, or gaps, between the boards.  Now think about our lives as that floor.  We keep stretching the boards of our attention farther and farther apart in order to cover more area.  But this also increases the opportunity for more and more things to “fall through the cracks of our attention.”  Businessmen sometimes say that “the Devil is in the details” of their deals, but this Preacher says that “The Devil is also in the cracks between the boards of our attention!” 

The less attention we pay to the steps we take on the boards of life on which we tread, the greater the opportunity Satan has to make us fall.  And the more we try to stretch the boards of our attention by creating bigger cracks between them, the less “circumspectly” we will walk!   That is “unwise” indeed.   Folks, “walk circumspectly” and give heed to Ephesians 5:17, “So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is”- there’s a Snake out there you know!

Comments (0) | April 24, 2012

Spiritual “Tunnel Vision”

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Faith, Obedience, Salvation, Numbers, John, Romans, James

What is commonly called “Tunnel Vision” is more specifically “Kalnienk Vision.”  The condition refers to a restriction of one’s field of vision, but with the retention of central vision; i.e. as if looking through a tunnel.  Though it can have many different causes, the most common culprit is the consistent restriction of the field of vision, which causes the eyes to be “trained” to only focus on the specific area in which one is looking.  For instance, if you looked through a periscope for long periods of time, or wore a welding helmet, diving mask, or something else which only allowed you to see the area or objects immediately in front of you, tunnel vision could easily occur.  The result would be that you would only be able to “see” those things at which you specifically looked or directed your attention. It is a dangerous condition physically, but can be spiritually devastating.

As is the case with the physical impairment, spiritual Tunnel Vision is most often self-inflicted.  We repetitively and consistently focus our attention on a specific passage, interpretation, or doctrine until we lose the ability to see anything else. This is especially dangerous because it becomes self-perpetuating.  A certain passage that we think contains a cherished belief is so much the focus of our attention that we get to the point that we will not even consider other passages which clearly contradict our interpretation of the one upon which we’ve become affixed.  “Spiritual Tunnel Vision” has occurred!  Let’s consider some examples.

John 3:16 is a beautiful and powerful passage that highlights both God’s tremendous love for man, as well as man’s obligation to believe in order to attain eternal life. But for some, this passage has come to be a proof-text for salvation by “faith only.”  Has intense focus on this verse clouded our ability to see its context?  Can we no longer see that in v.5 Jesus also required one to be baptized (“born of water and the Spirit”)?  Can we no longer see that v.36 enjoined obedience to our belief in order to attain eternal life?  Do we no longer see the example immediately preceding v.16 in the text?  It references the O.T. story of fiery serpents being sent by God among the Israelites as punishment for their complaining in the wilderness (see Numbers 21:4-9).  The people who were bitten by the serpents had to look upon the replica that God commanded Moses to erect on a standard in the midst of the camp or die.  They couldn’t just “believe” and “accept” that God would heal them, they had to meet His requirement of obedience by going to and looking upon the serpent. Additionally, have we become so intently focused upon John 3:16 that we no longer can see James 2:24, “You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.”  This passage doesn’t teach that one is saved by “works alone” any more than John 3:16 teaches that one is saved by “faith alone.”  But we cannot become so specifically focused on either one that the other can no longer be seen.  Both passages are inspired by the Holy Spirit, and neither is more important than the other!

Romans 8:38-39 is likewise a tremendously comforting passage which teaches the love and protection God manifests toward His children.  But does it say that “once we are saved, we are always saved”?  The passage makes it very clear that nothing can separate the saved from the love God has for them. But does that mean they will necessarily inherit the blessings of eternal salvation unconditionally?  Can a loving parent not disown and disinherit a rebellious child?  Of course they can!  But will our loving Father do that to His unloving and disobedient children?  Don’t fall prey to spiritual tunnel vision!  Note these passages:  “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21); “be on your guard lest, being carried away by unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness” (2Peter 3:17); “Take care, brethren, lest there be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).  Have we become so focused on a passage that we think teaches a comforting doctrine that we can no longer see that every book of the N.T. (except one, Philemon) contains warnings specifically designed to prevent the very thing that supposedly cannot happen- losing salvation once it has been gained?

Please, read your New Testament- all of it; and don’t become so focused on what you may want it to say that you cannot see what it does say.  I do not have all the answers, nor do I claim to have them- but, I do know that we cannot give any one passage an interpretation that clearly contradicts another.  We have to take it all, and keep it all together to “see clearly” what God would have us to believe and obey. 

Comments (0) | April 17, 2012

“Settling” to Resolve a Conflict of Conscience

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Choices, Commitment, Fidelity, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians

Though it is not exactly how the dictionary defines it, we sometimes use the word “settle” as a verb meaning to resolve by lowering standards.  Unfortunately, perhaps the most common usage of the word in this way has to do with choosing a mate.

For example, let’s say we have certain ideals and standards (whatever they may be- the specifics of which are not really the point at this time) that we think are important in a spouse.  But after a few years of unsuccessful searching, we begin to lower those standards, or wind up abandoning them altogether to marry someone who… well, to put it bluntly, would say “yes” to us.  In the process of making that decision, we created a conflict in our conscience because we knew we were doing something that we didn’t think was completely right.  Unfortunately, we chose to “settle” this conflict of conscience by compromising the standards. The standards were lowered or abandoned because it was just plain easier.  Instead of continuing to search for “Mr. / Mrs. Right,” we settled for “Mr. / Mrs. Right Now.”   (Please understand, this is not a personal example- I married young because I didn’t want Donna to get old enough to realize that she could do a lot better than me!)

From that hypothetical example, which I fear happens all too often, let’s make some spiritual applications on this matter of “settling” conflicts of conscience by compromising the standards:

“I know this is not right, but it is the lesser of evils.”  In this scenario, we’re again attempting to salve our conflicted conscience by compromising the standard.  We admit that both potential choices are “evil,” but propose to “settle” the matter by choosing the one which is less evil.  Why not instead continue to pray and search for the “right” option?  The Holy Spirit says there always is one, “but with the temptation (God) will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.” (1Corinthians 10:13b.  This means that God will never leave us with nothing but “wrong” choices- there will always be a “right” thing to do!  So don’t “settle” such a conflict of conscience by choosing the “lesser of evils,” continue to look for, find, and then take the “right” path!

“I am this (denomination), but my spouse is this (denomination), so we just go there (a 3^rd denomination).”  What did that resolve?  Instead for searching for and finding the “right” thing to do (see the previous paragraph and passage again), both parties compromised their conscience by lowering their standards- they “settled”!  So, they both wind up attending a church with which they do not agree doctrinally rather than searching for, finding, and taking the “right” option based on the standard of God’s word, Ephesians 4:4-6. 

“We can’t really understand the Bible anyway.”  What is often behind such a statement as this is a conflict of conscience caused by a lack of understanding.  Because one has not put forth the effort to study and understand the Bible, and is not willing to do so, the resulting conflict of conscience is “settled” by, again, lowering the standard- saying it (the Bible) can’t be understood. Think: Why would the Creator provide us with a book which illuminates the path to heaven in words that we cannot understand?  To suggest that God did this is nigh unto, if not altogether, blasphemy!  Listen to the Word of the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul, “that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery (meaning, the previously unrevealed- PCS), as I wrote before in brief.  And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,” Ephesians 3:3-4.  Don’t “settle” the conflict(s) of your conscience by retreating to “you can’t understand the Bible anyway”- do the “right” thing like Ezra.  He “set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances…” Ezra 7:10.  And you can do it too, if you won’t “settle”!

Conflicts of conscience are never “settled” by compromising the standard.  Search for, find, and do the “right” thing!

Comments (0) | April 10, 2012

Is “Tolerance” a Modern Virtue or a Fatal Flaw?

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Our society, in general, has become very tolerant- perhaps too much so.  Generally, “tolerance”is an attitude of sympathy or indulgence toward opposing views.  It necessarily also includes patience, forbearance, endurance, and longsuffering.  The New Testament certainly requires all who would be godly to be patient, kind, and tolerant of views and practices they do not share, cf. Romans 14:1 – 15:3.  But possessing and cultivating a spirit of forbearance is something very different from encouraging and allowing the lines between “right” and “wrong” to be altered!

Some 750 years before the time of Christ, God’s prophet Isaiah pronounced a woe (curse) upon those who would “call evil good and, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own sight.”  (Isaiah 5:20-21)  Being tolerant and forbearing with someone who may have differing opinions regarding matters of indifference with God, as Romans 14-15 is discussing, is a far cry from calling something God said was “evil,” “good.”  Folks attempting to be godly (literally, god-like; meaning we try to think, feel, and act like God) are expected to be tolerant of indifferent matters of personal judgments, but are neither required nor allowed to tolerate sin.

The church at Corinth was condemned because it tolerated sin.  Paul said “that someone has his father’s wife”- obviously indicating a sexually immoral association, v.1.  Evidently the church there had become very broad-minded and tolerant in their views of what God had called “evil.”  They were also charged with arrogance regarding this situation, v.2.  Perhaps this means they were foolishly proud of their “tolerance.”  He said they should have “mourned instead” for the sin, and “removed (the guilty man) from your midst.”  On down in the text, he added, “I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler…” v.11, but to instead, “remove the wicked man from among yourselves” v.13.  Now, does that sound “tolerant” to you?  Me neither!

Furthermore, the church at Thyatira was specifically condemned for its tolerance of one who claimed to speak for God, but had led others into immorality, idolatry, and adultery, Revelation 2:20ff.  Remember, Jesus said in Matthew 7:16a, “You shall know them (false prophets) by their fruits.”  If someone claims to speak for God, and yet their teaching/doctrine leads to practices that God calls “sin”- such as sexual immorality, idolatry, and adultery, then surely they should not be tolerated!  God said He would “cast her (the false teacher in this case) upon a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation…And will kill her children with pestilence…” Revelation 2:22-23.  If we want to be godly, which is again, god-like, we cannot tolerate what God refuses to tolerate!

Our society has coerced well-meaning and good-intentioned people into tolerating, then accepting, and ultimately even legitimizing sexual immoralities that God calls “evil.”  As society in general has become more tolerant of these sinful practices- such as fornication, adultery, and homosexuality, churches have been influenced to become increasingly more tolerant of them also. Folks, as Peter said in Acts 5:29, “we must obey God rather than men”!  God-like people are patient, kind, forbearing, long-suffering, toward all; and even tolerant of judgments and practices that differ from their own- provided they are not sinful.  But God’s people will not, and cannot, tolerate teaching and practices that God calls “evil”- at least not and remain God’s people!  That’s not being unkind or judgmental, it is simply “speaking where God has spoken,” 1Peter 4:11.

Comments (0) | April 3, 2012

God’s Eraser

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There are several passages in the Old and New Testaments that mention a “book” in which God records the names of those who will inherit eternal life.  Now I realize, and I’m sure you do also, that God does not suffer the memory lapses that cause us to have to write things down to prevent forgetting them!  God is omniscient (all-knowing), and thus does not have such human maladies with which to contend.  So, why is there this book? 

The best answer is probably that accommodative language is being used to help our understanding.  Heaven is a spiritual place, and thus is not literally composed of physical things likestreets of gold, seas like glass, and jeweled gates- or books.  All of these images are utilized to convey a spiritual place to physical minds.

But let’s get back to God’s “book.” Daniel 12:1 speaks of “the book” in whose names are recorded those who would be rescued from distress. Jesus, in Luke 10:20, indicates that His disciples ought to rejoice that “your names are recorded (presumably in this “book”) in heaven.”  In Philippians 4:3, Paul mentions some specific women “whose names are recorded in the book of life.”  Revelation 13:8 adds that it has been “written from the foundation of the world…” and 21:27 clearly says that “only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” will enter heaven. 

These things beg two essential questions.  First, “How does one come to have their name recorded in God’s ‘book of life’?”  Let’s answer this one by looking at Jesus’ last words to the Twelve, whom He was sending out into the world to preach the gospel to all men that they might be saved, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching themtoobserve all that I commanded you…”  Matthew 28:19-20.  That seems pretty clear!  If we want to have our names recorded in “the book of life” so that we can enter and spend eternity in heaven, we must become “disciples” (literally, followers) of Christ by being “baptized” (immersed) “in the name of” (by the authority of) the “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” (the three ‘personages’ of Deity: Planner, Savior, and Revealer) and “observe all that I commanded” (do what the New Testament says).  By the grace of God, this enrolls our names in His “book of life,” Hebrews 12:23!

The second question this whole “book of life” thing seems to necessitate is this: “Can a name recorded in God’s ‘book of life’ ever be removed?”  As always must be our course, let’s see what God says.  From the Old Testament first, in Exodus 32:33, God is addressing Moses concerning His own people, the Israelites, regarding their sin, “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.”  That seems pretty clear! But what about the New Testament, the Covenant all today are under?  In the letter to the church at Sardis, God is again addressing His own people (i.e. Christians).  Revelation 3:3,5 records these words, “Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent.  If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you….He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; andI will not erase his name from the book of life…”  Now, when God says that He would not remove the names of those who overcome sin by repenting and keeping His word, what does that imply for those who don’t do these things?  Plainly, it means that God both can and will erase their names from His book of life!   

Brethren beware: not only is it possiblefor us to have our names removed from God’s book after they’ve once been recorded there, it is a promisefrom God that they will be erased if we fail to “hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,” Hebrews 3:14! 

Comments (0) | March 28, 2012

What Saves Us?

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Salvation

In Acts 2:37, when confronted with the truth that Jesus was indeed the Christ, and the realization of their sins came full-force upon them, the assembled audience asked the most important question anyone can ask regarding salvation, “What shall we do?”  Note they didn’t ask “What shall we believe?” or “What shall we feel?” or even “What shall we experience?”  No, they asked, “What shall we do?”  Even these yet unpardoned murderers of the Messiah understood that salvation required activity on

The response came quickly and concisely from Peter, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…” v.38.  Note again, they were not told what to think, feel, or experience; they were told what to do to be saved.  Given even this small amount of information, how anyone can say that man does not, and cannot, do anything to attain salvation is simply amazing.  Read the text for yourself. These people were lost because of sin; they desired to be saved from the eternal consequence of their sins; they asked what they needed to do to attain forgiveness; and were told what to do to be forgiven.  As one of my old preaching mentors used to say, “You have to have help to miss that- you can’t miss it by yourself!”

Does that mean baptism “alone” saves us?  Of course not!  The verse itself includes repentance as being required.  Please, please, please understand this vital point: The N.T. does not say that anything alone saves us- not “baptism alone,” not “repentance alone,” not “confession alone,” not “grace alone,” and not “faith alone” (though at least these two words do appear together in the text- but it instead says “You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.” James 2:26).   Nothing “alone” saves us- not even “the blood of Jesus alone” saves us.  Think about it: if the blood of Jesus “alone” saved us, then everyone would be saved because it was shed for the sins of everyone, right?  But not everyone will be saved.  Jesus made this very plain in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father, who is in heaven.” 

Look, the N.T. says that all of the above mentioned items save us: baptism, 1Peter 3:21; repentance, Acts 3:19; confession, Matthew 10:32; grace, Ephesians 2:8; faith, Romans 5:1; and blood, Ephesians 1:7.  However, none of them “alone” saves us- it is the concerted combination of them all that orchestrates salvation. 

But if you’re insistent on looking for “one thing” that will produce deliverance from sin, I suppose it would have to be the Gospel, “for it is the power of God for salvation,” Romans 1:16.  Even here, however, activity is required on our part.  The power of the gospel doesn’t work by osmosis!  Jesus said, “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,” John 8:32; and by inspiration, Peter added, “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls…” 1Peter 1:22.  The power of the gospel to save is dependent upon our study and knowledge of it, and our willingness to humbly submit ourselves to it in obedience.  If we don’t know it- we can’t obey it.  If we know it, but don’t obey it, it won’t save us in our disobedience.  It really is as simple as that!

Comments (0) | March 13, 2012

“Circumlocution”

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Choices, Matthew, Galatians

“Circumlocution” is a word with which I am familiar, but is certainly not from the part of my vocabulary I typically use!  Nonetheless, I am reminded of the proverb of Solomon (Proverbs 25:11) about using the “right” word in the “right” way and at the “right” time.  He wrote, “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.”   I’m not claiming that “circumlocution” is that “right” word, or that this is necessarily the “right” time or way to produce the effect of apples of gold in settings of silver either.  But I do think “circumlocution” is a word we need to consider...

Dwight D. Eisenhower is attributed with the following quote: “An ‘intellectual’ is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.”  We preachers, unfortunately, often fall into this category, but we are not alone.  Most of us, especially when faced with a difficult situation or question, do a verbal waltz around the issue without ever really stepping on or in it.  This is “circumlocution” exactly. 

“Circumlocution” is the combination of two words:  circummeans round or around, as ‘circa’ before a date means that it is around that date.  Likewise, circumspect means to ‘spect,’ or look, around; and circumstance is literally what is around your stance, or where you stand.  Locution has to do with speech.  It is from the Latin word loqui, which means to speak.  Hence, elocution has to do with how one speaks.  Now, if we put circum (around) together with locution (speech) we get circumlocution: talking around an issue; usually without ever really addressing it directly. 

Perhaps an example will help to illustrate.  Guys, if a woman (certainly not your wife because she surely does not “fit” into this category!), asks you, “Does this outfit make me look fat?” and it does, what do you say?  You probably do that earlier mentioned verbal waltz around the subject and say anything and everything you can without really ever answering the question, or you just go ahead and get the black eye! 

But “circumlocution” has a more spiritual application as well.  If your spiritual brother or sister is “caught in a trespass” (Galatians 6:1a), or “sins against you” (or someone else, Matthew 18:15), do you go and talk to him, or just practice circumlocution by talking around the issue to everyone else?  Or even if you do go to your brother, do you address your concerns over his soul directly, or talk around it to such an extent that he doesn’t even really know what you said, or why you said it?  When trying to “restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1b), or win back your brother, he has to know what he’s done wrong- such is the nature of the reproof of Matthew 18:15ff.  Talking around the issue without really addressing it, which is “circumlocution,” doesn’t do any good!

However, the avoidance of circumlocution doesn’t provide an excuse to be rude, unkind, or ungracious to him.  Remember, you’re trying to win back your brother- not chase him off permanently!  It’s easy to tell someone they’re wrong if you don’t care about them becoming right.  But if you really care about their soul, and thus care about them correcting their sin, you have to be much more judicious with your words.  Paul put it this way to the Colossians, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.”  (Colossians 4:6).  A good ‘rule of thumb/tongue’ in approaching someone about their sin is this: Speak to them the way you would want someone to tell you about your sin if/when the situation were reversed.  And of course, it always helps if you’re not guilty of the same thing, or worse, yourself, Matthew 7:1-5!

Comments (0) | March 6, 2012

Spiritual Anarchy

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Apostasy, Obedience

I grew up (to the extent that I have) in the country.  The closest kid, not related to me, with which to play was either a goat, or a couple of miles away by bicycle or horseback.  I had a brother and sisters, but they were all older. So much of my interaction with other children came at the little country school I attended.  As children invariably do, we would get together on the playground, and someone would suggest that we play a game.  It was usually some sort of made-up game with rules that were likewise invented and added as we went along.  So, the rules were always ill-conceived and inadequate to give any real structure to the game, which was OK since we were just kids playing. But then, and it usually didn’t take too long, as it became apparent to everyone that the rules of the game were not thought-out too well (and often designed to give the author some definite advantage), someone would suggest that we just play the game “with no rules”- which soon ended the game.

This little story illustrates a fundamental principle of human behavior: Any cooperative effort requires some form of rules to provide structure, and shape interaction toward the goal.  In other words, we humans require rules to function constructively. This need comes from our creation.  We were created by a God of order and design, not confusion and chaos (1Cor.14:33). He designed and constructed the Universe to operate on the basis of laws which provide order and harmonious interaction.  He created man the same way- with a need for operating principles, or laws. 

Throughout man’s history, his own efforts to generate these operating principles have often resulted in really bad laws, kind of like those playground game rules, cf. Jeremiah 10:23.  And this tendency invariably produces cries to “play without any rules,” just as it did on the playground- which is anarchy. Technically, anarchy is the absence of viable law, and therefore results in the absence of any system of organization.  But God didn’t create the Universe, or man, to operate that way.  The Psalmist says that the ways of man are “ordered by the Lord,” 37:23.

And yet, despite our obvious need of the order and organization that laws provide, and despite our demonstrated lack of ability to effectively produce them ourselves (The Inquisition for example), we keep trending closer and closer to spiritual anarchy.  We, in the religious world of today, seem to be distancing ourselves from the very concept of spiritual “law.”  The notion that there is a “right” way to think soundly, to act morally, and to worship spiritually as determined by authority of God’s Word, is rapidly being replaced with “I think” and “we feel” reasoning. The road to complete spiritual anarchy is paved with such logic substituted for biblical authority.

If we hope to please God rather than just humoring our own humanity, we must realize that the God of order and design ordered and designed spiritual laws for our ultimate good.  We can “play” at religion by believing, teaching, and doing the things we “think” and “feel”- and thus worship ourselves; or, we can order and arrange ourselves according to God’s laws- and worship Him.  But we can’t do both.  Instead of abandoning the Law of God for our own thoughts and wishes, we must test every doctrine, belief, and practice with, “What is written in the Law?” (cf. Luke 10:26).  Then, we must do “what is written in the Law!”  Spiritual anarchy produces only the chaos of eternal destruction.  But obedience to the law of God produces exactly what He ordered and designed: eternal life, James 1:22-27.

Comments (0) | February 28, 2012

Uniting Believers: What Will It Take?

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Church, John, Ephesians

In last week’s article, we established that God wants His people united- and that we are not.  Though we all claim to believe in the same God, the same Savior, and the same Spirit- who are all “One” by the way (John 17:11,21,23), we are divided into various denominations and sects.  Given these things, how do we get back to where we’re supposed to be?  How do we become again the “one body” (cf. Ephesians 4:4) God created and intended?

While I’ve never portended to have “all” the answers, in this case, I have at least considered the question.  Therefore, it seems to me that there are some fundamental principles which must be observed and obeyed if we are to ever become united.

First, we must believe that the Bible is God’s Word.  You say most of us already believe that?  Really?  While most everyone agrees that it is “impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18), they apparently do not believe all that He said either.  For instance, some doubt what He said about a literal six days of creation. They have succumbed to Darwinian pressure and have retreated to Theistic Evolution’s supposed blending of science and faith.  Theistic Evolution says that although God did indeed create the things Genesis says He did, He did so with gaps of perhaps millions of years between these six “days.”  Is that what God said in Exodus 20:11?  What sense did it make for Jews to commemorate and keep the seventh day as a Sabbath if there were millions of years between each of the six days of creation?  You see, “we” don’t all really believe the Bible is God’s Word!  And if we can’t even agree on how we got here from God’s Word, how will we ever agree on how to be united here from God’s Word? 

But the Bible is God’s Word, cf. 2Timothy 3:16-17; and He is directly responsible for its contents, 1Corinthians 2:10-13.  We’ve already seen that men’s words divide us, so surely we can see that only God’s Word can unite us.  Thus, to become “one,” we must cast aside all the doctrines and dogmas of men, and believe and use the Bible alone as our standard of faith and practice.

Second, we must eliminate relativism and subjectivism from the process of understanding and applying God’s Word.  In the context of biblical interpretation (and therefore application), “relativism” is the notion that Truth is not absolute, and is thus always relative to some particular frame of reference, such as current culture and/or moralities. Such could lead one to conclude, regarding some point of doctrine, “That may be true (right or wrong) for you, but is not necessarily true for me.”  Thus, we’ve made God’s Word relative to ourselves, cp.1Corinthians 10:13a.

Subjectivism is akin to relativism in its effect.   Subjectivism says that Truth is subject to my own interpretation of it.  This is patently not true!  While the application of Truth is subject to my interpretation of it- I can’t apply it correctly if I don’t understand it correctly; the Truth itself is not subject to my understanding of it. It’s still true whether I correctly understand and apply it or not, cp. Matthew 22:29! 

These two notions of relativism and subjectivism combine to produce a major hindrance to unity: the idea that we can “understand” the Bible differently, and therefore apply it differently, and still be pleasing to God.  This simply is not true.  One may understand, and another may misunderstand; or, both may misunderstand, but two cannot understand the Truth differently.  Why?  Because truth is neither relative nor subjective! 1Corinthians 14:37 (KJV), “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”  

Finally, and as a conclusion of the previous two points, we must decide that Truth matters- and act accordingly.  The notion that Truth is somehow secondary to science (man’s knowledge) and society (man’s wisdom) is absolutely counterproductive to unity.  As long as we believe and espouse that “It doesn’t really matter what you believe as long as you’re honest and sincere,” then true unity is impossible- not to mention salvation.  This logic and reasoning makes impotent the very thing that can unite us: God’s Word.  We’ve replaced the credibility and power of God’s Word with our own knowledge and wisdom.  Surely we can all see that such just cannot (Jeremiah 10:23), and thus will not, work. True unity must be firmly founded on, and only on, God’s Word!

Comments (0) | February 21, 2012

The Unity Problem

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Church, Ephesians

It should be abundantly clear that the Lord intended His people to be united- “that they may all be one…”John 17:21. To that end, He gave us a platform to accomplish that unity:  “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were also called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6).  But if He intended for us to be united, and gave us the necessary foundation to accomplish it, why are we so divided? Check the yellow pages under “Churches” for evidence of our divisiveness.

To say, “We’re all just taking different roads to the same place” is just not true.  Jesus said there is but “one way/road”- not many different ones, cf. John 14:6; Matthew 7:13-14. It has always been interesting to me that most who claim the “different roads to the same place” mantra are making an attempt at unity, but obviously don’t believe in the “one body” or “one baptism” or “one faith” concepts stated in Ephesians 4 necessary to produce it. So, let’s spend a moment attempting to really understand how and why these “ones” should unite us as God’s people the way He intended.

There being “one God” should provide us with unity in worship, John 4:23; but we (‘religious’ folks in general) have decided that we should all be able to worship in “our own way,” so we are divided.  There being “one Lord” should provide us with unity inauthority, Matthew 28:18; but we have decided that “other authorities” (doctrines of men) are equally viable, and thus ought to be considered, so we are divided.  There being “one faith” should provide us with unity in message, Romans 1:16; 5:1-2; but we have decided that we need to “cater/mold the message” to this group or that mindset, so we are divided. There being “one baptism” should provide us with unity in birth, John 3:3-5; Galatians 3:26-29; but we have decided that “baptism is important, but not essential,” and that it can be sprinkling or pouring water on anyone, rather than being the immersion of penitent believers, so we are divided. There being “one Spirit” should provide us with unity in vocation, Romans 8:2,7,12-14; but we have decided that the Spirit leads this person in “this” direction, and that person in “that” direction, so we are divided.  There being “one hope” should provide us with unity in purpose, Colossians 1:3-8; but we have decided that only some should hope for heaven, while others must be content to hope for some form of a perfected earth, so we are divided.

Get the picture?  God provided us with everything we needed to be united as His people in worship, authority, message, birth, vocation, and purpose.  But we, in our own “wisdom,” turned aside from these things, and are thus divided rather than united. What makes correcting this division more difficult is the misguided notions we have about how to go about it.

Ecumenicism (uniting differing religious groups through compromise and blending) is not the answer to religious division. The reason should be obvious: ecumenicism requires the compromise of beliefs and convictions regarding the truth.  We cannot become united on the basis of compromise- we must become united on the basis of conviction that the Word of God is the only standard; and that as such, it must be the standard for everyone. Men writing doctrines and dogmas that outline how to be a member of this denomination or that one don’t unite- they divide, obviously.  As such, all such writings of men have to be abandoned for a “thus says the Lord” with a book, chapter, and verse following.  Unity can only be achieved by the correct understanding and application of the Truth- not the compromise of conviction and the forfeiture of faith.  Otherwise, we will never be united, and will thus never be pleasing to God.   “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God…” 1Peter 4:11.

Comments (0) | February 21, 2012

Lady’s Man, Man’s Man, My Own Man, or God’s Man?

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Choices, Growth, 1 Samuel, 1 Kings

Most churches are composed of more women than men.  This is due, in part, to the general tendency of women to live longer than men.  But even among the younger populace of congregations, there are again usually more females than males.  I’m not exactly sure why this is so, but for whatever reasons, women generally seem to be more accepting of the gospel and spiritually-minded than men.  While this is certainly a commendable reflection upon the fairer sex, it surely doesn’t bode well for the male of the species! So, what can be done to improve the spiritual-mindedness of us guys?  Consider three representative types of men: the Lady’s Man, the Man’s Man, and the My Own Man.

Samson surely possessed all the physical traits the ladies sought in a man.  He had long flowing hair (Judges13:3-5).  He had big muscles and tremendous strength (14:6; 15:14-15; 16:13); and he had unmatched athletic prowess and fighting skills (14:19; 15:4,8). Yet despite these physically attractivetraits, he also: had a horribly failed marriage (14:20–15:6); had a penchant for prostitutes (16:1-3); wound up living alone in a cave for a while (15:8); finally took his own life along with 3,000 Philistines (16:28-31).  Though blessed by God with wonderful physical attributes, which apparently made him very attractive to the ladies, Samson failed to be a godly man, and he also failed to be the leader God wanted him to be.  He may have been a ladies’ man, but he failed to be God’s man.

Saul had the man’s man pedigree for leadership- he was from the courageous tribe of Benjamin (Judges 20:15ff), and his father was “a mighty man of valor” (1Sam.9:1).  He also was blessed with an imposing physical stature that made him look like a natural leader (9:2).  And unlike Samson, Saul, at least initially, possessed great humility (9:21). He had the support of the people and the valiant men of Israel (10:23-26; 11:15). The men wanted someone else to do their fighting for them (8:20; 12:12), and Saul appeared to be just the man for the job.  He was a true man’s man: tall, strong, and capable (11:5-11,15).  But there was a chink in Saul’s amour.  It seems that the absolute power of the monarchy corrupted him almost absolutely.  He took on himself the role and responsibility of performing sacrifices (13:8-13).  This was neither his place nor prerogative. He further substituted his thoughts for God’s instructions concerning the destruction of the Amalekites (15:3, 7-9).  And when his failures were brought to his attention by Samuel, he denied, equivocated, and blamed the people (15:10-21). Surely this was not the conduct of a godly leader.  Saul may have been a man’s man, but miserably failed to be God’s man.

Solomon was wise and wealthy enough to have it all- and that was exactly what he had-everything.  “And all that my eyes desired I did not refuse them.  I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure…” (Eccl.2:10).  Solomon became his own man!  The details of his self-pleasing efforts are abundantly evident (vv.3-9; 1Kings 11:1-3).  He thought only of himself and the pleasure he could attain. But ultimately, this pleasure-seeking desire to be “his own man” led him away from God, “For it came about when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods…Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord…” (1Kings 11:4,6). Though blessed with wisdom, health, and wealth, this king of Israel was ultimately rejected as the leader of God’s people (v.11).  He may have been his own man, but failed to be God’s man.

So what does it take to be God’s man?  You don’t need beautiful hair, big muscles, athletic prowess, good looks, large stature, or great wisdom or wealth.  You do need a godly heart (of love for Him), a godly mind (filled with knowledge of His Word), and godly determination to live for Him (rather than for women, other men, or yourself).  Now, whose man do you want to be?  Our families need godly husbands and fathers to lead in the home; our community needs godly citizens and businessmen to lead in it; and our churches need godly men to lead in them.  Will you become a godly leader, or, are you content being led by ungodly desires of women, ungodly desires of other men, and/or your own ungodly desires?

The Southside Church of Christ (602 Henderson) will be conducting a class on Becoming Godly Men & Leaders each Thursday evening at 7:30 for the next several weeks.  There is no cost or further obligation, and all males from high school age up are invited.  Let’s become the men of leadership that God expects us to be: godly men!

Comments (0) | February 14, 2012

“Free” and “Easy” Salvation?

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Salvation, 2 Samuel, Luke, 1 Peter

All of my life, I’ve heard people talk about salvation as being something that was free for the taking, and easy to attain.  One of their favorite words seemed to be “just”- as in, “If you will just do this”, or “just believe this,” or “just feel this way in your heart.”  These concepts bother me somewhat in light of what the New Testament as a whole teaches.  But...

I think I understand why biblical salvation is “free” in that we can neither buy nor earn it (Romans 5:15ff), and the how the Lord’s way is “easy” in comparison to the devil’s, or man’s, way (Matthew 11:28-30).  And I think I also understand that salvation requires that we believeand docertain things which are relatively simple in obedience to the gospel (Mark 16:15-16), and that when we believe and do them, we will feeldifferently about God, ourselves, life, and eternity (1John 3:18-20). 

But here’s what I don’t understand: If salvation is supposedly so free and easy that the word “just” is accordingly prevalent in the way folks describe its requirements, then please explain what Luke 14:25-35 and 1Peter 4:17-18 are all about.

Luke begins by telling us about the multitudes of people that were following Jesus, v.25.  The Savior then turns to them and almost seems to discourage them from becoming His disciples by telling them how much it will cost!  Note the itemized list of the “cost” of discipleship: 1) a subjected love of your family (“hate” is from the Greek word miseo, which means “to love less”- not to harbor animosity or ill will), v.26;  2) dailycarrying your own cross (an implement of your own death), v.27;  3) a commitment strong enough to last a lifetime, vv.28-32; and 4) valuing your faith more than all of your earthly possessions, v.33.  Yes, salvation is absolutely “free” in the sense that we can neither earn it nor buy it, but such certainly doesn’t negate the fact that it has a definite “cost” factor.

And then there is 1Peter 4:17-18, which reads, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?  And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?” 

Again, there are few things that seemingly must be taken into account from the context of this passage.  Almost from beginning to end, Peter’s epistle seems to have a couple of main points: 1) those who intend to follow Christ must live lives of holiness and right conduct, 2:11-12; 2) so living may well bring persecution and suffering, 2:19; and 3) God expects Christians to keep doing the “right/good” things even when “bad/wrong” things happen because of obedience, 2:20-23.  What is “easy” about that?   It seems difficult enough to do the right thing when doing so has no personal and detrimental consequences.  So, how is it “easy” to be obedient to God when others ridicule and persecute you for it?

Now before you begin to think I’ve switched sides and started playing for the other team, let me explain a few things.  The “difficulty” to which Peter refers in 4:18 is not a reference to becoming a Christian.  He is speaking of the difficulty of remaining a faithful Christian until the end despite persecution and suffering.  Note the context of the previous, and following verses, (vv.16,19), “but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God…Therefore, let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”  He is not saying that it is “difficult” to become a Christian (and thus to be initially “saved”)- he is saying it is “difficult” to maintain the necessary faithful obedience through the fires of persecution all the way through to eternal salvation (which was also Jesus’ point back in Luke 14:25-35 by the way).  And perhaps just as importantly, he is saying that those who never even begin the journey to salvation by obeying the gospel certainly have no hope. 

So, is it easy to become a Christian?  Yes, if you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and are willing to obey Him in baptism (Mark16:16).  Is it easy to live the Christian life that our initial obedience requires to complete our salvation?  No, but it sure beats the alternative- both here and hereafter! 

Comments (0) | February 7, 2012

Subjective Salvation?

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Salvation, Genesis, 1 John

One of the most spiritually destructive tools Satan ever devised, and developed into the thoughts and vernacular of men, was the notion that “It doesn’t really matter what you believe or practice as long as you’re honest and sincere.”  I’m sorry to be so blunt, but of course it matters what you believe, and what you practice!  If it doesn’t, why did God go to all the trouble of inspiring men to write the New Testament?  If it doesn’t, why is the New Testament so replete with warnings to, and corrections of, Christians?  If it really doesn’t, why did Jude urge us to “contend earnestly for the faith” (v.3); why did Paul warn Timothy about the perversion of truth (1Timothy1:6-7; et al); and why did Peter spend an entire chapter to help us recognize, identify, and combat false prophets (2Peter 2)? 

None of that makes any sense at all if “it doesn’t really matter what you believe and practice as long as you’re honest and sincere.”  Honesty and sincerity do not change the wrongness and impotence of either beliefs or practices.  A person who honestly and sincerely believes that heading south on highway 69 will get him from Jacksonville to Dallas will never make it there.  And a person who honestly and sincerely takes the wrong spiritual road does not arrive in heaven either.

But the underlying culprit in Satan’s destructive deception is the concept of subjective salvation.  Since the word “salvation” is pretty clear as to its meaning, let’s concentrate for a moment on the “subjective” part of this pair of terms.  “Subjective” refers to an impression or conclusion that is based on someone’s feelings and opinions, rather than on facts and evidence.  It is, therefore, necessarily biased.  “Objective” means pretty much the opposite- that the conclusion or result is based solely on facts and evidence rather than personal feelings and opinions.  Therefore, it is necessarily unbiased.

Now we’re ready for the question: Is one’s salvation subjective or objective?  That is, is salvation based on the feelings and opinions of the individual, or is there an external and impartial determining factor?  There is no doubt or argument that being saved should make us “feel” certain things and ways, but the crux of the issue is whether or not those feelings are themselves the evidence of salvation. 

Let’s go first to biblical history for input.  The patriarch Jacob was led by his sons to believe that Joseph, his favorite son, had been killed by wild beasts, cf. Genesis 37:18-33.  The deception worked in spite of the fact that Joseph was not at all dead.  But Jacob was so convinced of Joseph’s death that “he refused to be comforted. And he said, ‘Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son’.”  Jacob believed with all his heart (honestly and sincerely was absolutely convinced) that Joseph was dead, and continued to believe so for twenty-two years (cp. Genesis37:34-35 > 45:26-28).  But Joseph was, in fact, alive and well. Jacob was honest and sincere in his beliefs- but he was honestly and sincerely wrong!  Though he believed with all of his heart that Joseph was dead, the truth was that he was second-in-command over all of Egypt!  This is subjectivism plain and simple.  Jacob’s feelings and flawed impressions led him to believe something that was simply not true, and he thus lived accordingly for years before learning the objective truth: Joseph was alive.  

So is salvation subjective?  Let’s allow the Bible to speak for itself:  “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” (1John 2:3); “Little children, let no one deceive you, the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil….By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious; anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” (1John 3:7-8,10).  Through obedience to the Spirit-inspired words of the New Testament, we “are being led by the Spirit of God…” and “The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ…” (Romans 8:14,16-17).  Friends, that is objective salvation based on the impartial evidence of obedience in our lives to the Word of God, not subjective salvation based on the biased feelings of our emotions.  Give it some thought, won’t you?  It makes a difference eternally.

Comments (2) | January 31, 2012

The Importance of Words

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Faith, Genesis, 1 Corinthians, Hebrews

The English language (which we don’t speak here in America, and especially not here in Texas where either “Amurhican” or “Texican” is the native tongue) is difficult, complex, cumbersome and frustrating, and yet can be wonderfully precise if one really knows how to use it.  Although I work at the task, I fear my efforts often fall woefully short.

We are told that a high percentage of our communication is “non-verbal.” This supposedly refers to body language such as hand gestures, overall posture and facial expressions, rather than “texting” or “tweeting.”  But words are still the primary “vehicles of thought” in any language, or form of that language.  English (and other languages as well), properly understood and utilized, can convey messages with amazing specificity.  For instance, we might use “infer” and “imply” synonymously, but we would be wrong to do so.  To “imply” something is to suggest it without specifically stating it.  But to “infer” is to conclude something that has not been specifically stated.  These two are actually on opposite ends of the same process.  You “imply” something, and from your words I “infer” a conclusion- all without anything being specifically stated!

The uncanny power of words is not accidental.  The first man did not have to grunt and gesture with non-opposable-thumbed hands for centuries while evolving.  He was spoken to immediately and intelligently by His Creator, and responded with an intellectual prowess invested within him by that Creator (Genesis 1:27-28ff).  And both used words!  Words were as much a gift from God as the ability to creatively produce and perceptively receive them. 

But these words were not just a part of God’s creative gift to Adam so that he could talk to his wife (yes, that began there in the Garden also ladies). God wanted a way to be able to communicate His will to man, and man needed to be able to express himself to God, cf. Genesis 2:16-17,23.

Initially, and for hundreds of years, God spoke to the heads, or patriarchs, of families through dreams and visions, or even directly, to reveal His wishes to man.  This is what is commonly called the Patriarchal Period of biblical history.  Then beginning at Mt. Sinai, Jehovah used codified words to communicate His Law to Israel. He gave those laws through His prophet, Moses.  Therefore, that dispensation is referred to as the Mosaical Period because God communicated His laws primarily through Moses, though other prophets were also utilized.   Hebrews 1:1 described these periods this way, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways…”

Then, in the first century (A.D.), God began to reveal His laws to all mankind through Christ, “in these last days has spoken to us in His son…” Hebrews 1:2.   Therefore, and logically, this is referred to as the Christian Period.  But God didn’t speak to man just through Christ, He also utilized the Holy Spirit to reveal His will to mankind.  In fact, the word “inspired” is from the Greek theopneustos, which is a compound word derived from theos (God) + pneo (breath). Thus literally, “inspired” means “God-breathed” in the New Testament.

From these things, a couple of points need to be made. The inspiration of the New Testament was very specific in that the words were carefully guarded by the Holy Spirit to ensure that they conveyed the thoughts of God to the minds of men.  Note 1Corinthians 2:12-13 on this point, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those (meaning, words) taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”   As such,the words of the Bible matter because they were specifically chosen to reveal God’s will to man!   Therefore, we shouldn’t alter them (Gal.1:6-8); add to or subtract from them (Rev.22:18-19); or ignore them (Heb.2:2-4); because they will be the words by which we are judged when life is over (John 12:48). 

Biblical words and their meanings matter because eternity hangs in the balance. Read and study your New Testament like your spiritual life depends on it! 

Comments (1) | January 24, 2012

Have You Noticed?

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Have you noticed that the thinner and lighter our televisions get the thicker and heavier we get?  Could it be because we sit or lay on the couch with a big plate of something fattening and watching other people exercise? 

Have you noticed that the smarter our phones become the dumber we feel?  If your  cell  phone (isn’t that almost a redundant term now- are there still other kinds?) doesn’t surf, chat, facebook, and tweet, or if you don’t even understand what those things mean either, then we both probably have what the suave young salesmen at the wireless store called a “Senior” phone. That’s OK- mine still makes phone calls, which is exactly what I purchased it to do!

Have you noticed that the easier our lives are made by technology, the more complicated, they become?  Did I actually see a refrigerator advertised the other day with an inventory touch screen and status monitor in the door?  Really- a computer in the refrigerator?  And I felt lavishly indulgent with a laptop that could connect to the internet without a cord!

Have you noticed that the more user-friendly something becomes the more hateful it becomes to the user’s wallet?  Exactly when was it that “user-friendly” become synonymous with “expensive”? (See again the previous paragraphs!)

Have you noticed that the more our cars do for us the less we can do for them?  Is it really true that our cars can now parallel park themselves for us, but we can no longer change the oil in them ourselves?  That is, of course, if they still have oil in them.

Have you noticed that the greater the number of the channels on our televisions the fewer the number of them we’re interested in watching?  I actually found and enjoyed watching a show the other day about a 154-mile classic tractor ride (perhaps because I grew up on a farm and worked at a tractor auction for about six years). It was really neat to see all of those old tractors again, but don’t even get me started on so-called “reality TV,” which has surely destroyed almost as many brain cells in this country as marijuana!

But all of this isn’t just a feeble attempt at a humorous rant- there actually is a spiritual point or three to be made.  It seems the older I get, the more I appreciate simple things- the things that require no electricity, remote controls, or connection to the internet and that don’t have any little blue or green or red or orange indicator lights.  Things like: a sharp pole ax with a good handle; or a good steak cooked over an open fire; or an evening spent at home with beloved ones playing a game and laughing; or a drive down a tree-covered road with the windows rolled down in a vehicle old enough that I can still hear and feel the engine’s surging growl; or a hand-holding stroll in the cool of the evening conversing with the love of my life; or a morning spent by the softly-crackling glow of the fireplace with a large cup of coffee and my Bible.  

Technological advances have revolutionized our lives and made them much easier in many respects.  But please don’t allow all these “techno toys” to prevent or even precede the things that really matter: the value of simple hard work that produces sweat; an appreciation of the wonderful world God created for us to enjoy in person, rather than by digital representations; the joy and love of family up close, without typed letters and electronically delivered hugs; and the profound pleasure of reading, studying, and living the Bible- it lives and abides forever you know, 1Peter.1:23. These are simple things, good things, things that will never become obsolete with the next generation of technological gadgetry.

I’ll leave you with two passages on which to contemplate: “…make it your ambition to lead a quite life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you; so that you behave properly toward outsides and not be in any need.” 1Thessalonians 4:11-12; and, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8.

Comments (0) | January 17, 2012

Enactmenting Gruntled Pents

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Repentance, Genesis

I know that’s a strange title, but perhaps that is because it emanated from a strange mind… mine!  Let me see if I can get this to make sense for you.

A lot of words we commonly use have prefixes.  A prefix is sometimes one letter, or perhaps two, or maybe even three that you tack on to the front of a base word to change its meaning.  To “sub-marine” therefore means to go “under” the “water.”

But have you ever thought about how some of the words that we put these prefixes on really don’t have a place in our regular vernacular?  For instance, you may have attended a Civil War reenactment if you’re into that sort of thing, or even a crime-scene reenactment if you were on a jury that took a field trip, but have you ever been to an enactment?  Yep, that’s a real word alright, but you don’t usually hear it much around this part of the country.

What about this one: At one time or another you’ve probably been disgruntled in your life, right?  But in your whole life, have you ever been gruntled?  I’m absolutely sure I’ve been disgruntled, and I’m even pretty sure I know what that means, but since the prefix “dis” means the opposite or absence of whatever base word it precedes, exactly what is “gruntled”?  Actually, there is such a word as “gruntle” after all.  It is defined by Mr. Webster as “to put in a good humor,” in case you didn’t already know- I sure didn’t!

Now all of that foolishness was to entertain perhaps just a little, but also to get to a point.  Our title, in addition to “enactmenting” and “gruntled,” also includes the word “pents.”  If you look that one up with Mr. Webster he will tell you it means “to shut up” or “confine”- as in, pent-up feelings or emotions.  But if you add the prefix “re” if front of it, well, then we have problems.  If “pent” means to “shut up or confine” and “re” means “again,” then “re-pent” would have to mean “shut up or confine again,” wouldn’t it?  Now we both know that doesn’t make much sense- even to the valedictorian (of a total class of 15, mind you) son of an Ag teacher!  But hold on, this gets better, I promise.

The trouble we’re having with the word “re-pent” is that it is translated from a couple of Greek words into our English version- and trust me, it makes more sense in Greek!  The Greek prefix “meta” (translated as “re”) means “after.”  The Greek base word is “noeo,” and literally means “to think.”  Thus, the Greek word, metanoeo, translated into our English word “repent,” means “to think again.”  Therefore, to “repent” is literally to rethink, or change one’s mind.  Those who had demanded Jesus’ crucifixion because they believed Him to be an imposter, were told to repent (and be baptized, Acts 2:28) - to re-think and change their minds!

But in the New Testament, evidently “repenting” includes more than just changing the mind. John the Baptist told his audience, “Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance…” in Luke 3:8.  This changing of the mind is supposed to also produce a change in course, direction, or conduct.  It’s not just changing your mind- its changing your mind so that your actions change too!

Now, what if we put all those silly words from the title together in the light of our new-found understanding of them?  An “enactment” is something that has been acted out.  To “gruntle” is to make happy.  And, to “repent” is to re-think and change your mind so that your course, or direction, changes. Put them all together and what do you get?  You become “happy” because you’ve “changed your mind” and are “acting” accordingly, see Genesis 4:6-7a!  See how easy that was?  Thanks for playing along, and I hope you learned a little along the way to boot.

Comments (0) | January 10, 2012

How About Some “Spiritual” Resolutions?

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Choices, Commitment

We typically make resolutions this time of year to “do/be better” in the year ahead.  These pledges are usually not too hard to come up with since the same ones we made last year are again available!  So, we renew our commitments to take better care of ourselves by losing weight/bad habits, eating better, sleeping more, and exercising (at least some).  We also promise to do a better job with the externals- managing our time, money, and other resources more profitably.  And then too, we declare that we’re going to work on improving our relationships. In the New Year we’re going to be better parents, children, spouses, bosses, employees, and friends. This all sounds, and actually is, good- if we’re really serious about changing this time around.  But the track record of the past doesn’t bode well for us.  Have you thought about making (and keeping!) some spiritual resolutions instead, or at least in addition to these others?

Will you commit to losing the extra weight of sin this year? Hebrews 12:1 talks about “running with endurance” the spiritual race that is before us.  Running any race with a lot of extra baggage attached is almost, if not altogether, impossible.  This same verse also urges us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely,” (English Standard Version). We simply can’t run this race successfully while carrying about a “body of sin.”  Free yourself from all the “extra weight of sin” (Roman 6:3-6) this year.

Will you resolve to auditing and allocating your resources differently this year?  Saul of Tarsus (aka Paul) likely was either already a member of, or was being groomed to be a member of, the Jewish Sanhedrin counsel.  This was a very powerful and likely profitable position.  But when he became convinced of the deity of Jesus Christ, he immediately turned his back on the all the amenities that his former position afforded him.  In speaking of this, he said, "But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord...and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ,” (Philippians 3:7-8).  I am certainly not suggesting that you “give up” your possessions to me, or the church (I/we are interested in your soul’s salvation, not your money) - but I am suggesting that we must all keep these physical things in the proper perspective. Jesus said to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven....for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” Matthew 6:19-21.  Make sure heaven is your primary “bank account” this next year.

Will you pledge to improve your spiritual relationships this year?  1John 3:1 speaks of the blessed privilege Christians have “that we should be called children of God.”  Have you neglected your spiritual Parent? Do you speak to Him often in prayer?  Do you regularly seek counsel and wisdom in His Word(s)?   Do you go and spend time with Him each week to show how much you love and care for Him? Will you work at improving your relationship with Him this year? And what about His other children- your siblings, are you going to do a better job of being “devoted to one another in brotherly love” and in giving “preference to one another in honor” from Romans 12:10?  Give preference to your “spiritual relationships” this year.

See?  It doesn’t have to be a long list of resolutions to accomplish some pretty major improvements in your life.  What about it?  Are you just going to resolve the same old things this year as you did last year?  Or, will you instead resolve and follow through with a few simple commitments that will completely change your life here, and hereafter? 

Comments (0) | January 4, 2012

A Father’s Love

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Salvation, Romans

From time to time, I have the opportunity to study with a young couple who want to get married, regarding what God intended and requires marriage to be (actually, it’s mandatory if I perform the wedding).  In trying to underscore the importance of true love and maturity to the relationship, I’ve often utilized statements along these lines:

“A young man doesn’t really understand what true love, maturity, and the awesome responsibility of family ‘headship’ is all about until he has a child.  Prior to that point, he’s lived a selfish life.  He cried to get what he wanted when he was little, perhaps pouted or became angry to get it when he was older, and bullied, talked, or cajoled his way into getting it as a young man.  He may even marry for purely selfish reasons! Other people in his life enabled him to remain selfish by mostly playing along or giving in to his wants.  They could have said “No,” and refused to continue to placate his demands because they weren’t dependent upon him.  But once he becomes a father, everything usually (and certainly should!) change.  That little screaming, cooing life that faintly resembles him is different- it is completely dependent upon him in ways that his parents, siblings, friends, girlfriends, and wife never were!  This new life that came from him therefore melts his selfish heart, and hopefully matures his mind and conduct.”

It is probably about this same time, and for the same reason (the birth of his child), that a young man begins to truly comprehend God’s love for us.  He begins to understand how God invested some of Himself in mankind from Genesis 1:27, “And God created man in His own image…” when he sees his own characteristics reflected in his child.  He begins to understand his own complete dependence on His heavenly Father (from Romans 5:6, “For while we were still helpless…”) when he’s trying to comfort his own crying child in the middle of the night.  He begins to understand true love (from Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us…”)when his own heart wants to break at the least hurt of his child.   And He begins to understand true sacrifice (from Romans 5:10, “For while we were yet enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son…” ) when all of his selfish desires and pursuits are willingly sacrificed for the slightest benefit of his child.  

While this young man may have “known” about these things previously on some level, through this life-changing bundle of joy, he now “understands” a whole lot more about how God thinks, feels, and acts toward us.

The human birth of Jesus was necessitated by one thing:  Man’s need of salvation from sin.  Romans 6:23 tells us that the just penalty for sin is death. Unless all men were to die for their own sins, a Perfect Man would have to die in their stead.  Being sinless, His death could then atone for other’s sins since He would have none of His own needing atonement (cf.Hebrews 9:7,11-14).  But by intrinsic nature, “God” cannot die- He is eternal.  Therefore, in order to atone for man’s sins, God had to assume human form.  This He did by being born of a virgin (of divine, rather than human, progeny), “Jesus of Nazareth.”  Then “the fullness of Deity…was in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9)- and this human form of the very Son of God could atone for man’s sins through death. Simply put: the birth of Jesus is important because it allowed Him to die for our sins.

But unless we’re really sharp and studious of the Word, we may not really appreciate God’s investment of Himself in human form, or our complete dependence on Him, or the true love He has for us, or the true nature of His sacrifice; that is, until we have children of our own in which we have invested ourselves, who are (at least initially) so completely dependent upon us, who we love so completely, and for whom we are willing to sacrifice our very lives to save.  Now do you get the picture?

Comments (0) | December 27, 2011

Consistency is the Key

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Commitment, Fidelity, 2 Kings, Matthew

Have you ever split firewood the “old fashioned” way?  You know, the way where the “splitter” has a handle that is not attached to a hydraulic cylinder, but an ax or maul head?  Although I have sometimes used the gasoline/hydraulic kind, mostly I still use the other kind of handles to split our firewood.  When the boys were younger, they would see me bursting open the blocks and want to give it try.  Invariably, they would swing as hard as they could, and also just as invariably, they would miss the spot they needed to hit to get the wood to split. Such is not uncommon- I did the same thing when I was just learning.  But the trick is not how hard you hit it, but hitting it with consistency- meaning hitting the same place multiple times.  Otherwise, you wind up making more kindling splinters than firewood!   It occurs to me that many of us approach Christianity and our service to God the same way...

We want to “hit it as hard as we can” once or twice a year, and expect great results.  That’s why we make sure to “go to church” on Christmas and Easter, and are generally much better people during December than we are in July!  

This isn’t a new phenomenon by any means.  Peter and the other eleven disciples proudly proclaimed, “… ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.’ All the disciples said the same thing too.”  (Matthew 26:35)  In their minds, they were ready to make the great and grand sacrifice of their very lives for Christ.  And yet, in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the same night (of Jesus’ betrayal), when He asked them to “keep watch with Me,” He returned to find them sleeping not once, not twice, but three times. (Matthew 26:36-45)  At the most pivotal time of His life, they slept.  They thought they were ready to make the “big” sacrifice and die for Him, but in reality couldn’t even stay awake and lend whatever support they could offer for a few hours.

Naaman also had this “big thing” mentality with regard to being cleansed from his leprosy.  He was a “big” man- captain of the Syrian army, and as such expected Elisha (God’s prophet) to make some appropriately grand gesture to heal him.  2Kings 5:11 records his words, “I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper.”  Probably because he knew Naaman’s heart and expectations, Elisha didn’t even come out of his house. Instead, he sent a messenger to Naaman telling him to go and dip himself seven times in the Jordan River to be cleansed.  Naaman was furious, at least until his servants questioned him, “…had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?  How much more then, when he says, ‘Wash, and be clean?’”  (2Kings 5:13)  That’s insightful logic, and a great question!  And it worked- Naaman went to the Jordan, dipped himself seven times as commanded, and came up cleansed. It wasn’t a “big” or “grand” gesture that God required of him, just simple obedience.

The same is true for us.  While being faithful to God might require the sacrifice of our lives through persecution- and we should certainly be willing to die for Him (Matthew 16:25), given when and where we live, this is thankfully unlikely.  But faithfulness does require the simple, consistent, day-to-day obedience to God’s words.  In this way we become a “living and holy sacrifice” (cf. Heb.12:1) by living for Him daily, rather than dying for Him once.  This isn’t the “big” and “grand” gesture Peter or Naaman had in mind- it is the simple, consistent life of obedience to God.  What about you?  Are you looking and waiting for the one “big” hit, or are you consistently and patiently “hitting the mark” of obedience every day?  Lookie there- we can even learn lessons about godly living from splitting firewood!

Comments (0) | December 21, 2011

Saints and Sinners

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Fidelity, Obedience, Matthew

A “saint” is not a long-dead godly person who performed miracles while they were alive.  The Bible nowhere defines or uses the term that way.  Instead, a “saint” is a Christian, whether alive or dead- one who is “sanctified” (set apart from the world, PCS)in Christ,” 1Corinthians 1:2.  Contrastingly, everyone is a “sinner” in the sense of having violated the law of God- so says Romans 3:23.  But the New Testament also uses the term “sinner” to describe those who are supposedly the antithesis of God’s people.  I say “supposedly” because the line between “saint” and “sinner” is not always as distinct as it ought to be. 1John 3:10 says it should be “obvious.”  The blurring of this line of distinction is not due to the “sinners” becoming more “saintly” either!

Jesus made it very clear that He expects those who claim to be His people to feel and live differently from those of the world.  Note two quick examples from Luke 6.

“And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.”  (v.32)  Loving those who don’t love youis evidence of being a child of God according to Matthew 5:45.  Of what then, is loving only those who love you evidence?  Don’t let the title you give yourself fool you- God isn’t deceived.  If we refuse to love those who don’t love us, we’re more “sinner” than “saint”!  If you want to be numbered among God’s people, love differently, more, and better than the sinners by loving those who don’t love you.

“And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even the sinners do the same thing.”  (v.33)  It’s not just important to feel the right way about those who don’t reciprocate those emotions, it’s also vital to do the right things to/for them, even if they do the wrong things to you. Jesus spoke to this very point in the Sermon on the Mount, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.” (Luke 6:35)  Thinking and feeling the right way about “sinners” is essential to being a “saint” primarily because without the right mindset, the right activity will never follow!  Unless we love and live better than “the sinners” we are not really “saints” at all!

So, what happens when a supposed “saint” loves and lives no better than “the sinners”?  To be blunt, since he has decided to “play for the other team,” his brethren should make it clear to him that he’s switched sides by withdrawing their fellowship from him.  That is what both the Thessalonian and the Corinthian churches were told to do with their unrepentant sinful saints, cf. 2Thessalonians 3:6-14 and 1Corinthians 5:1-13.  Why this course? Hopefully, the drastic disciplinary action will cause him to repent and return to living the way saints should so “that his spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus,” 1Corinthians 5:5b.

But there are additional reasons to withdraw fellowship from saints who live like sinners.  Such people have a very detrimental effect on other members of the church who are trying to do the right thing(s).  Paul warned the Corinthians of this danger with the rhetorical question, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?” (see 1Corinthians 5:6). 

Also, saints who live like sinners actually become a dangerous deterrent to the spread of the gospel.  In Romans 2:23-24, Paul is addressing the supposed “people of God” who were, in fact, sinners, with these stinging words, “You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?  For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles (or sinners, PCS) because of you,’ just as it is written.”   Not only do saints who live like sinners miss heaven themselves, they cause others to miss it as well through their hypocritical example!

Please remember Jesus’ words from Matthew 5:20, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven”.  The “Scribes and Pharisees” were actually supposed to be God’s people, but lived more like sinners than saints, cf. Matthew 23. Please heed the Savior’s warning.

Comments (0) | December 14, 2011

The Effects of Atheism, and Practical Atheism

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Atheism, Psalms, Romans

The news has been filled lately with stories which, if they turn out to be true, reflect very badly on a couple of major college sports programs. More importantly, they reflect very badly on society as a whole. The sexual abuse of anyone, but especially children, is a deplorable thing; so is the taking of an innocent, unborn life; so is taking another’s life and property to support a drug habit; so is “I was too drunk to know/remember what I was doing;” so is…you get the point. How did we, as a society, get here?

Psalm 14:1 begins, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”  Certainly there are plenty today who agree, and thus classify themselves as did the psalmist.  But the verse continues with, “They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds…”  When the Gentiles depicted in Romans 1 “suppress(ed) the truth in unrighteousness” (v.18), and “even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God” (v.21), they indeed became “fools” (v.22), just like David said hundreds of years before.  Because of this God “gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity….gave them over to degrading passions….gave them over to a depraved mind…” (vv.24,26,28).  Make no mistake about it: when we remove God, impurity, degradation, and depravity take firm root in society.

It would be indeed foolish to suggest that all of the atrocities of our societies, past or present, can be laid at the feet of atheism.  History has had more than its fair share of purported “believers” in God who have done horrific things to their fellowman- often even in the name of religion itself. It is, however, worthy of note that many individual cases of “religious” atrocities involve mental illness.  It is not a belief in God that is to blame, but the mental illness/deficiency of the individual which is responsible.  In fairness, mental instability is the real culprit behind some atheistic atrocities also.

But it is equally undeniable that when the critical mass of a society denies (or doubts) the very existence of God, or substitutes “a god” of their own making in His place, they are doomed to destruction- both here, and hereafter.  Please note carefully 1Tim.1:8-11, “But we know that the Law (meaning “God’s law”) is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.”  Look at this list of unrighteousness again. Some of these are attributes our society tends to praise, if not glorify- like rebellion; some we have come to just plain expect from each other- like lying and perjury; and some are the direct result of removing the very existence of God (and His Law) from our mindset- like immorality and homosexuality.  When we remove the “righteous” God from our realm of reality, some very “unrighteous” activities are going to become commonplace in our society!

Our title includes “Practical Atheism”- so it needs to be addressed also.  A story is told of several preachers in a town gathering at a local coffee shop one morning.  The newest preacher in town sought to elevate his particular brand of religion by proudly announcing that they had recently baptized the town drunk.  One of the old timers spoke up, “Yeah, we’ve all baptized him at one time or another- but it didn’t affect him much!”  What I call a “Practical Atheist” is one who may actually claim to believe in God, but it “doesn’t affect him much” either!   Unless our belief in God causes us to act in accordance with His Word, we are no better off (and may even be worse) than the demons.  James 2:19-20 addresses this kind of “Practical Atheism” as follows, “You believe that God is one.  You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.  But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?”  Practical Atheism gets you to exactly the same place as Atheism- without God, here and hereafter.

Here’s the point of all of this: the more we as a society remove, deny, and dismiss God, the worse things are going to get.  We can’t deny God, and expect people to live godly.  So, change people’s mind about God, or buckle up- it’s going to get rough.

Comments (0) | December 7, 2011

Horses and Carts

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Salvation

Most of us have probably at least heard of “getting the cart in front of the horse”- it is more likely that we’ve all done just that, at least in one form or another.  The phrase has to do with getting things out of order.  Perhaps more specifically, it has to do with attempting to do one thing before something else that must necessarily come first.  For those unfamiliar with carts and horses, the cart always hitches up behind the horse, rather than in front of him.  Thus, those who get things out of the proper and necessary order are “getting the cart in front of the horse.”  It’s kind of like trying to “push a chain”- but that’s another story for another time, I suppose.  As you may have surmised by now, there is a spiritual application to this whole “horse and cart” thing....

Occasionally, I’ve had someone tell me he wanted to wait “until I get my life straightened out to become a Christian.”  Now there’s a cart in front of a horse!  There is no doubt that John told some Pharisees and Sadducees that they needed to “bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance” before baptism.  But if you look carefully at the context of Matthew 3:5-12, you’ll see that he did so in that case because of their hypocrisy.  They didn’t really believe they needed to repent of anything.  They assumed they were already saved, rather than truly repenting and turning to God through baptism.  That’s not the situation at all with the people who say they want to get their life straightened out before they’re baptized. Such is a “horse of a different color” altogether (sorry, that one just slipped right out)!

In such a case, “getting my life straightened out” is the cart, and being baptized is the horse.  When we come to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and decide to obey Him by being “born again” in baptism (John 3:3-5; Romans 6:3-4), we become a “new creature” (2Corinthians 5:17), or a “babe” (1Peter 2:2), in Christ.  From that point, we must grow and develop into a mature Christian.  As we mature in Christ, our lives are transformed by renewing our minds to the will of God, rather than simply conforming to the sinful world around us (Romans 12:2).  In this maturation process, our lives get “straightened out” when we learn “to discern good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14) from God’s word, and live accordingly.  If we attempt to get our lives straight prior to becoming a Christian, we are definitely trying to put the cart in front of the horse!

But I’ve often suspected that those who say they want to get their lives “straightened out before becoming a Christian” really mean, “I’m not through enjoying my sinful life yet!”  They have in their minds that when they get through sowing all their “wild oats,” then they will “settle down” and become a Christian.  But there is definitely a horse fly in this ointment (sorry, there I go again!). The problem with sowing “wild oats” is that they almost always produce a distasteful crop we have to harvest and eat!  Note Galatians 6:7-8 on this point, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.  For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

When we choose to “sow our wild oats” now and “become a Christian” later, there is always the possibility that sin becomes so ingrained in our lives that we can’t shake free.  Esau apparently had that problem, “when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears,” Hebrews 12:17.  Then too, no one is promised a tomorrow to repent and become a Christian, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts,” Hebrews 3:15. 

You may not have grown up on a farm like me, and you may not know how to hitch a cart to horse either, but you can do the first things first!  Keep your spiritual horses and carts in the right order, OK?  It just won’t work if you get the wrong one in front.

Comments (0) | November 29, 2011

“Being Right” vs. “Helping Others to Be Right”

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Choices, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy

In most cases, the reasons we act (or don’t act) matter tremendously.  Our motivations and intentions often determine how we act, even if the decision to act has already been made.  Hebrews 4:12-13 makes it clear that God recognizes and judges our motives as well as our actions.  This also seems to be the point Jesus was trying to get across in Matthew 5:21-48.

I often write and preach things which are “corrective” in nature- lessons which seek to address commonly held misunderstandings and misapplications of God’s Word.  I don’t do this to be different, or to attract attention.  Neither is my purpose to prove that I’m right and others are wrong.  God’s Word is “right” whether I am or not!  Instead, the purpose I try to always keep in mind is to help others become right according to the Word.  It is for this reason that I attempt to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints,” Jude 3.  Certainly, we should all be diligently “handling accurately the word of truth” that we can be “approved to God as a workman” who does not need to be ashamed, 2Timothy 2:15; but we should also be just as concerned with helping others to be the same.  If we are primarily concerned with just “proving ourselves right” in our contending for the faith, without regard for the resulting impact on others, our motives and efforts are just plain wrong.

In writing to the young preacher Timothy on how to carry out his mission of preaching the Word, the apostle Paul gave these inspired instructions, “instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering God’s provision which is by faith. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions,” 1Timothy 1:3-7.  See?  The motives matter.  Preaching, teaching, and discussing the Bible is not supposed to be about proving yourself right and others wrong- it is about “being right” with God and helping others to “be right” with God also!  Faithful contenders for the faith are trying to produce in others the “love from a pure heart and agood conscience and a sincere faith” of which Paul wrote.  If this is not our objective, then we are just wrong, and wrongly motivated.

Hopefully, these points will help to explain a few things.  I press hard for “accurately handling the word of truth” (again, from 2Timothy 2:15) because it matters.  It is not simply “the truth” which “makes us free”- despite being often misquoted that way from John 8:32.  One can possess the truth without being made free by it.  Most everyone has a Bible, or at least access to one.  Does such make them “free”?  Of course not!  The rest of the verse, which is typically omitted, is, “and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  Having a Bible doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than owning a scalpel makes you a doctor.  One has to know how to accurately use and apply the Truth to be made free by it, and to help others to be made free by it!  Don’t get me wrong, one need not possess a PhD in Divinity to “handle accurately the word of truth” to his own and others’ benefit.  But he must have accurate knowledge of the biblical text, and the right motive and purpose in mind for its use.

Truth matters.  And the purpose and motivation for our use of it matters too.  The Truth is able to make all people free from the shackles of sin and destruction, if we understand and handle it accurately, and thus apply it correctly.  

Comments (0) | November 22, 2011

The Hard Way

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Choices, Commitment, Salvation, Matthew, Hebrews, James

On September 12, 1962, at Rice University Stadium in Houston, TX, President John F. Kennedy gave his famous “Moon Speech.”  In this historic discourse, the President announced, “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard...

because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”  This speech spurred national pride in our space program, and set a very difficult goal for NASA with what some undoubtedly saw as an impossible timetable. But the objective was not impossible- it was “hard,” but not unattainable.

Some also view an eternal home in heaven as unattainable. Jesus’ own disciples, at least at one point, seemed to share this perspective.  After Jesus had told them of the difficulty of “entering the kingdom of God,” they responded with what was evidently to them a question without an answer, “Then who can be saved?”  His response to their question is of paramount importance, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:24-26)  It is “impossible” to reach the eternal abode of heaven without God.  But with God, this seemingly unfeasible goal becomes possible- difficult, but not impossible.

Many today preach a “cheap” and “easy” salvation.  While such may be popular, it is not biblical. Consider again the words of Jesus Himself, this time from Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.  For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who enter by it.”  The narrowness of both the gate (initial point of entry) and the way (path to the objective) indicate a difficulty of reaching heaven in comparison to the wideness (and therefore ease)of both the gate and way which leads to eternal destruction. It is indeed interesting that the Savior follows these words immediately in the text of Matthew 7:15ff with a warning against “false prophets”.  Surely they are those who oppose and contradict His Words!

The next logical question from these things thus becomes: “What makes the way to heaven hard?”  Here are a few suggestions.

The way to heaven is “hard” because it requires faith.  Faith requires assurance and conviction regarding “things not seen,” Hebrews 11:1.  It is easy to walk (traverse the path of life) by sight, but much more difficult to “walk by faith,” 2Corinthians 5:7.  And yet, faith is the only way that is pleasing to God, “without faith it is impossible to please Him,” Hebrews 11:6. 

The way to heaven is “hard” because it requires obedience.  Faith is not just believing in Jesus- even “the demons also believe, and shudder,” James 2:19.  True, biblical, saving faith includes obedience, “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself…You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone…so also faith without works is dead,” James 2:17,24,26.  Eternal salvation is not attained on the basis of what we know, feel, or experience, though all of these are included.  These are relatively easy- but faithfully and consistently “doing the right thing” is admittedly hard, James 4:17. 

The way to heaven is “hard” because it requires us to think, feel, and act like God.  Perhaps the clearest explanation of this principle can be found in Matthew 5:44-45, “But I (Jesus) say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you; in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven…”  Did you get that?  If we want to be God’s children, we must love those who hate us, and do good to them that do evil to us.  Folks, such is not easy- it’s hard!  But it is also necessary to attain heaven.

These few suggestions have only “scratched the surface” of the topic.  But lest we become discouraged, and start to think heaven is unreachable, remember Matthew 19:26, “With men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Do those things which allow you to be “with God” both now and forever!

Comments (1) | November 8, 2011

The Person in the Mirror

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Faith, Obedience, James

I have said it so often, others have begun quoting me back to me- but I still believe that “The greatest power of the human mind is the ability to justify self” is absolutely true.  We can always find a way to justify doing what we really want to do- even if we profess it to be wrong in most “other cases.”  The underlying cause of this ability often has to do with self-perception.  We just see ourselves differently than we really are.  Our self-perception is, therefore, skewed.

Because of this distorted view, we tend to think we’re the exception to the rule(s)- that they somehow just don’t apply to us.  James 1:23-24 addresses this point: “For if any one is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he had immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.”  The Greek word here translated into our English word “forgotten” does often mean “to forget” (as in Matthew 16:5 where the disciples “forgot” to buy bread).  But it also can mean to “neglect” or “no longer care for” (as in Hebrews 13:16 where Christians are urged not to “neglect” doing good and sharing). Is James therefore saying that the person he is describing is simply absent-minded, or that he chooses to ignore what he saw when looking in the mirror?  Given our human tendency to justify ourselves, I think James is saying that this person chose to “neglect” or “no longer care for” the accurate reflection of the mirror. Then, after walking away from the truth-telling mirror, he simply chooses to accept the image that he prefers of himself.  But let’s take this a step or two further.

We must also realize that the truth-telling mirror to which James refers is the word of God.  The context (of vv.23-24) demands this understanding. Back in v.18 he spoke of “the word of truth,” and again in v.21, “the word implanted”.  More immediately to our passage, v.22 sets the stage for our verses this way, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”  Two points are very clear from this verse: 1) the word of God is the mirror which gives us an accurate representation of ourselves, if we will look at and listen to it; and, 2) if we don’t do what that word says, we are merely deluding ourselves about who and what we think we are. Sure, we can choose to ignore what this window-to-our-soul mirror tells us for our own preferred view of ourselves, but the real problem is that God doesn’t judge us by our own standards.  Jesus said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” (John 12:48)

To really have a clear view of ourselves, we must look into God’s word to see what He expects of us, and act accordingly.  Please consider carefully 1John 2:3-5 on this point, “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has been truly perfected.”  Although we may profess great love for God and His Son, such is not enough unless it motivates us to obedience.  Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) 

If we say we love Jesus, and don’t do what He commanded, it sounds like we might be just the person in the mirror of whom James was speaking. Pray for “divine sight”- the ability to see yourself the way God does.  Next, open your New Testament and read it so that you can see yourself accurately.  Then, get busy becoming the person He expects you to be- a lovingly obedient child!

Comments (0) | November 1, 2011

The Powers of Satan

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Choices, Fidelity, Genesis, 1 Chronicles, 1 Peter

This lesson is a "follow-up" of sorts to the article, "Feeding the Lion."  Due to the space limitations for articles in our local newspaper and church bulletin, there were some additional points that could not be included there which were deemed beneficial, and therefore are included in this lesson.

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Comments (0) | October 25, 2011

Feeding the Lion

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Commitment, 1 Peter

During the time and in the general area that the New Testament was being given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to those who wrote it, the most ferocious beast around was probably the lion.  Doubtless, many people were attacked, maimed, or killed by them at that time and in those places.  Given these things, it is no wonder that the Spirit chose to use the image of the lion to describe the danger, ferocity, and destructive power of Satan- “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1Peter 5:8)  But perhaps we ought to think more about this particular analogy….

Satan is indeed aptly represented by the lion with regard to his massive power (against humans at least), his capacity for cruelty, and his destructive capabilities. But consider also the following.

Satan is a “roaring” lion.  I remember when we took our oldest son, now 21, to the zoo.  He was a little boy of maybe two or three at the time.  We were somewhere near, but not at, the lion's den when apparently some other zoo patrons coaxed him to roar. That little boy wasn’t the only one who took off running!  That lion’s roar was so loud that it seemed to part your hair- even the ones on your arms.  His presence was unmistakable.  Everyone knew he was near, and hoped that he was still in his cage!  But do you know what?  “Roaring” lions are easy to identify, locate, and therefore avoid. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  (James 4:7b)

Satan is a “caged” or “chained’ lion.  The first mention of Satan being limited, or bound, is in Matthew 12:28-29 where Jesus spoke of casting devils out of people possessed by them.  Satan’s power was being limited.  The second reference is in Hebrews 2:14-15 where Satan’s power over man through sin and death is bound by the deliverance and salvation of the cross of Christ.  A third reference to the binding of Satan is found in Revelation 20:1-3.  Satan was attempting to destroy the church through the persecution of the Roman government (the beast), and emperor worship (the false prophet).  But these efforts failed, and the church, through Christ’s power and assistance, remained.  Satan was again “chained” (or limited, or restricted).  As a lion, he still has obvious power to destroy- but his power is limited by the salvation and protection of Jesus Christ. Now, if one is destroyed by a caged, bound, or chained roaring lion, who really is to blame?  A chained lion can certainly be resisted, 1Peter 5:9, “But resist him, firm in your faith…”

Satan is a lion that has to be fed to be a real threat to us.  Question: what happens to a caged/chained lion that you don’t feed?  His power to destroy is obviously further diminished, if not eliminated altogether, right?  What we must realize is that Satan is only able to utilize what we give him in tempting us.  Notice a couple of passages on this point.  James 1:14, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.”  The word here translated as “enticed” means “to bait, to catch by bait.”  Satan feeds on what we give him- our weaknesses and temptations, to keep his strength up so that he can lure us close enough to destroy us (remember he’s caged/chained).  Consider also Romans 13:14, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”  Did you get that?  Don’t “make provisions” for your fleshly lusts.  Don’t make it easy for Satan to destroy you by continuing to “feed” him with your fleshly/sinful desires. Such is the source of his power.  Instead, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”!

Please realize that for Satan to have the ability to destroy us, we have to help him.  We must: ignore his obvious warning “roars”; walk into his cage (or within the length of his chain); and continually feed him with our sinful desires. Don’t do it!

Comments (0) | October 19, 2011

Peculiar People

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Choices, Commitment, 1 Peter

If speaking of present humanity, some of us are just... well, “odd.”  From hairdos that look like they were created with a blender (that perhaps had the remains of a fruit smoothie still in it), to poking holes in all sorts of weird body parts, to looking like we fell face-first into a box of fishhooks, some of us these days are just odd.  But such is not exactly what Peter meant in 1Peter 2:9 when he wrote, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people…”   Was he implying that Christians are supposed to be “weird,” or “odd”?  I’d have to say the answer is both “No” and “Yes.”  Let me explain...

The Greek word the King James translators rendered as “peculiar” actually means “a possession; one’s own property.”  More recent translations reflect this definition with “a people for God’s own possession”.  The peculiarity of Christians is that they belong especially to God.  I know what you’re thinking, “But doesn’t everyone belong to God?”  In the absolute sense of being His creation, yes, of course they do.  However, Peter is talking about Christians as being separate from the world.  Everyone belongs to God by right of creation- but we have no choice or activity in that.  Christians, on the other hand, choose to belong to God by special commitment andcovenant.  This makes Christians different in that they belong to God in an additional and special sense.  This makes them peculiarly His by their choice and covenant.

But Christians, by their choice of and covenant with God to be His people, are also “different” from others in additional ways. 

Christians think differently from the world.  Worldly people think selfishly- “It’s my life, I’ll live it any way I please as long as it lasts.” This mindset is described in Titus 1:15, “… to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their consciences are defiled.”  But Christians tend to think more selflessly- “God paid for my sins with the sacrifice of His dear Son, so I need to live for him.”  Thus, God’s people have a different mindset- one that is “…transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

Christians also feel differently from the world.  Worldly people love things that are carnal and temporary- like possessions and physical life, 1John 2:15, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”  Christians, by contrast, love things that are spiritual and eternal- like the Word of God (1Peter 1:23; 2:2), worshipping God (John 4:23-24), their brethren (1Peter 1:22), and everlasting life (Luke 1:77; Hebrews 5:9).  

And finally, Christians act differently from the world.  Because worldly people think and feel carnally, they also live carnally.  They live only to please themselves, “and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8)  But Christians live differently- Paul expressed it this way in Galatians 5:24 “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”  Christians strive to please not themselves, but God, “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves…For even Christ did not please Himself…” (Romans 15;1,3)

Christians aren’t to be different from everyone else just for the sake of being different.  But being “a people for God’s own possession” requires that they think, feel, and live differently through their obedience to His word- “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…” Colossians 1:10.  Being “different” like this is the best way to live now, and the only way to live eternally.

Comments (0) | October 12, 2011

People vs. Things

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Choices, Luke

Many years ago- I’ve long since forgotten the source and exact words, a preacher provided the audience with a self-test for determining where their treasure and heart were really located.  The test was based on Matthew 6:19-21 and went something like this: “Do you love people and use things to help them?  Or, do you love things and use people to get them?”  I found this to be a very insightful way of self-determining the spirituality or carnality of the heart.  While we would all like to think the best of ourselves, let us remember that we generally judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions.  Though we would all like to think that we love people and use things as God directed, our actions often reveal a different reality about our affections.

I recently had a “moment of self-discovery” that reminded me what should have been my true priorities all along.  Though the details are relatively unimportant for our purposes here, I got so wrapped up in “things” that I thought ought to be done and doing them, that I neglected some “people” that needed my help and attention.  The “things” I thought needed doing were good and noble enough all right, but should not have been given priority over people who needed my encouragement.  You see, this people vs. things problem can affect us all at times- which is why we must constantly examine ourselves (2Corinthians 13:5) with regard to our intentions and actions.

All of this reminds me of Martha in Luke 10.  As Jesus and His disciples travelled along toward to Jerusalem, they came to “a certain village” (John 11:1 identifies it as Bethany) which was the home of Martha and her sister Mary.  Martha welcomed the Lord and His disciples into her home, v.38.  Mary situated herself at Jesus’ feet and was evidently thoroughly engrossed with what He was teaching those assembled, v.39.  “But Martha was distracted with all her preparations,” v.40.  That was me:  distracted with things in preparation.  Martha apparently became so frustrated with all there seemingly was to do, and with the lack of assistance that she was getting from her sister, that she finally complained to the Lord in the latter part of v.40.  But note carefully the Lord’s response in v.41, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things....”  Did you get that? Martha was worried and bothered about “things” instead the “person”- Jesus, the Christ!  Mary, on the other hand, had singularly devoted her attention to “person” and was relatively unconcerned about all those “things” which had consumed her sister.  Jesus settled the matter by saying, “Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”  I had become a Martha, overly concerned with “things,” instead of a Mary who lovingly devoted herself to the “person” and words of Jesus Christ.

For those of you who, like me, are sometimes more like Martha than we’d like to admit, “things” do still have to get done at times.  But let’s remember to never put these “things” before “people,” or the things that are of greater spiritual importance. 

There is one additional point I’d like to make from Jesus’ words in this text.  Note that Jesus also told Martha that though she was “worried and bothered about many things; only one thing is necessary…” (v.42a).  I may be wrong about this, but I don’t think the “one thing”  Jesus mentioned had anything to do with how many dishes of food Martha was preparing.  The “one thing” that was “necessary” was a reference to what Mary had been doing- feeding on the Word of God.  Martha had been concerned with the physical food she thought she needed to provide for Jesus, and He is saying that the spiritual food He had been providing Mary and the others was much more important.  He had been giving them “the bread of God…come down from heaven, (that)gives life to the world” John 6:33-35.  Please join me in striving to keep the spiritual always ahead of the physical, OK?   

Comments (3) | October 3, 2011

Back to Basics

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Faith, Repentance, 1 Corinthians

Please Note: This article ran in our local newspaper and church bulletin prior to our Gospel Meeting, September 25-28, 2011 with Bro. Mike McLemore of Hunstville, Alabama.  Therefore it was originally intended to advertise that special series of lessons by the same title. Perhaps the rest of the article will still be useful for you- hence its inclusion here on the website.

Sometime around 51-52 A.D. the apostle Paul came to Corinth to preach the gospel.  Many of the Corinthians “when they heard were believing and being baptized.” (Acts 18:8)  Thus began the church at Corinth.  It was a church with a lot of potential, but by the time Paul wrote 1Corinthians back to them five or six years later, it was a church with a lot of problems. The litany of troubles this church had developed is quite evident from simply reading the letter Paul wrote them.  We note they were: divided(1:10ff); spiritually immature and carnal (3:1-3ff); spiritually arrogant (4:6-21); tolerant of gross immorality (chp.5); sinfully litigious (6:1-8); apparently needing to flee immorality (6:18ff); turning the Lord’s Supper into a common meal (11:17-34); and abusing spiritual gifts (chps.12-14). As if this wasn’t enough, some of them evidently no longer believed in the resurrection of the dead (15:12ff). 

These surely seem to be a lot of problems for a church to develop in only five or six years of existence!  But we need to be careful since our churches have likely been around a lot longer, and probably have many, if not more, of the same problems. We also have to realize that churches with problems have them because they are comprised of members with problems.  Actually, it is not much different for individuals than it is for churches: those with potential are also potentially problematic.  The same energy and enthusiasm that “gets the ball rolling” can just as easily roll it “into the ditch” unless constant reassessment occurs.

So what do we do when we or our churches seem to have “rolled into the ditch” of sin or stagnation?  The answer is very simple: We get “Back to Basics.”  Every athlete has heard it from a coach at some point. When the baseball or golf swing is out of whack, “Get back to basics.”  When tackles are being missed or volleys hit into the net, “Get back to basics.”  When the jump shot or free throws aren’t falling, again, the answer is “Get back to basics.”  There’s really no difference in spiritual matters.  When our life is in shambles and completely off course, we have to “get back to basics” there too.

Look again at the Corinthians.  What were they told to do?  Those divided were told to “agree… (and) be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment” through the “name (authority) of our Lord Jesus Christ” 1:10.  Those who were immature and carnal were told to grow up and become spiritual, 3:4-23.  Those who were spiritually arrogant were told “not to exceed that which is written,” and to “be imitators” of the humble servant Paul, 4:6-16.  Those who tolerated gross immorality were told to “remove the wicked man from among yourselves” and “not to associate with immoral people” in the church, 5:5-13.  Those sinfully litigious were told that it was better to be “wronged.…(or) defrauded” than to go to law with one another.  Those involved in immorality were told to “flee” it and to remember that they were “bought with a price”, 6:18-20.  Those abusing the Lord’s Supper were told to remember how and why it was instituted, 11:23-26; to eat it in a worthy manner, 11:27-29; to “wait for one another” in their partaking, 11:33; and to eat their common meals at home, 11:34.  Those abusing spiritual gifts were given rules to govern their proper usage, 1Cor.14:26-38.  And those mistaken about the resurrection were told again the things “of first importance” from the gospel, 15:1-8. None of these “solutions” was necessarily complicated- the Corinthians just had to “get back to basics.”  The same thing holds true for us too!

Is your spiritual life in need of getting “Back to Basics”?  If so, we hope you’ll join us at the Southside Church of Christ this coming Sunday through Wednesday for a special series of lessons on this very topic.  Bro. Mike McLemore (Huntsville, AL) will deliver six lessons (Sunday at 9:30 &10:20 AM and 6:00 PM; Monday through Wednesday at 7:30 PM) to help us all remember and return to the fundamentals of faith.  Bro. McLemore has done local church work for 26+ years in Texas, Mississippi, Virginia, and Alabama. His lessons are easily understood, dynamically presented, and Bible-based.  We do hope you’ll join us at 602 Henderson St. for this spiritual feast from God’s Word!

Comments (0) | October 3, 2011

“Decisions, Decisions!”

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Choices, Church, Commitment, Ezra, Hebrews

I saw a car commercial recently which boasted of how many hundreds of thousands of decisions this car made every second.  Not only do I not think that fast, I’m not sure I want my car to either!  In fact, I’d prefer to do most of the thinking for both of us.  Then on the other hand, if that old truck of mine had been one of these new “thinking” types, we might not have rolled over and wrecked recently!  But know this: when performing complicated tasks like driving or living, there are a whole bunch of decisions that are going to have to be made by someone…or something (God help us!).  Such brings a couple of points to mind relative to “thinking” and “decisions”: (1) good decisions typically require considerable thought at first, then become easier as we get used to making them; and (2) eventually, many good decisions come to require no thought at all, and hence cease to really even be decisions- we just do the right thing without even thinking about it.  Let’s consider both of these points a little more.

The reason good decisions take more thought when we first attempt to start making them is simple: we lack the experience of having made them before, or hundreds of times before.  So initially, we have to pray for guidance (always a good idea), determine what our options are, weigh and consider those options in light of the Scriptures, and we might also “consider the outcome” of the decisions others have made in similar circumstances (Hebrews 13:7) before coming to a decision. Having done all of this and come to a decision, hopefully we can then act accordingly.  But as we repeat this process multiple times, fewer steps are required to come to the correct answers because we’re learning from our own experience as we go.  Unfortunately, as many have said, “The experience required to make good decisions sometimes comes from making bad decisions.”  This is true, but the point is that we learn from the process.  Some just keep repeating the same mistakes over and over.  Hebrews 5:12 speaks of this problem, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for some one to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God…”  If we keep making the same bad decisions over and over, there is something wrong with our process!

The other major point relative to making good decisions is that not only should making them become easier with practice, many of them will cease to be decisions at all.  We will just do the right thing(s) instinctively without even having to think about it.  After all, before we started trying to make good and right decisions according to God’s word, did we have to “think about” and “decide” to do wrong?  Not likely.  We had probably become so accustomed to living that way that it became instinctive to us- we just did evil “without giving it a second thought.”  Such is exactly what Ephesians 2:3 is addressing, “Among them we too all lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”  Therefore, just as bad decisions can become so habitual as to not even require thought, good decisions can also.  “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)    

But the problem is that many of us still have to “think” about things that ought to be automatic or instinctive by now.  For example, be honest with yourself and answer this question: “Is a decision required in your house each Sunday as to whether or not you (and your family) are going to worship the Lord and encourage your brethren?”  If this doesn’t require a decision, I know why.   You either: (1) never really think about doing so; or (2) you never really think about not doing so!  Again, be honest- why are you still having to think about and decide this?  If you’re not sick (too tired or hung-over from the previous day’s or night’s activities doesn’t count) or prevented (meaning that you have no choice or decision in the matter), shouldn’t it be instinctive for a child of God to assemble with their brethren to worship Him and encourage one another?  If we still have to “think” about and “decide” this one, we might better backup and review how we’re making our decisions. If other “things” take precedence over the “the Lord’s day” in our decision-making, are we really “seeking first the kingdom of God” Matthew 6:33?  

Comments (0) | September 14, 2011

Elijah, Rain, and Dependency

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Faith, 1 Kings, Acts

No doubt there have been more than a few recent references to the passage in James 5:18ff which repeats the O.T. story of Elijah praying for rain.  And I’m sure several of these references to the story also emphasized that “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours” from v.17 in an effort to make the point that we too can and should beseech the Father for rain.  There’s nothing wrong with any of these things- righteous men (see v.16) should be asking God for rain!  But somehow, the later part of v.17 doesn’t get as much attention.  It says, “and he (Elijah)prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.”  Incidentally, the word translated as “earth”  can also be rendered as “land” or “country”- either of which I suspect is closer to the intended meaning of the verse.  Now back to the point, I know there have been many East Texans asking God for rain lately, including me, but I wonder if any have been praying that it might not rain like Elijah did at first?

Though the account in James 5 does not specify, do you know why Elijah first prayed that it would not rain?  The O.T. book of 1Kings 17 records the ascension of Ahab to the throne of Israel.  In v.30 it says that he “did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him.”  The text of v.33 adds, “Thus Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel who were before him.”  It seems that the nation of Israel either tolerated or followed King Ahab’s idolatry to such an extent that Elijah prayed for a drought to punish them, and to bring them back to an understanding of their complete dependence upon Jehovah.  They evidently needed to be reminded of what Paul told the folks in Lystra- that God “did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”  (Acts 14:17)  It is so very easy to take things like rain and fruitful seasons for granted- until you don’t have them!

Now, all of that was to get to a couple of points for your consideration.  First, I don’t know whether God has deliberately withheld rain from us to punish us for idolatry or not.  But it would sure be a good time to return to the true worship of Jehovah if we haven’t been doing so!  By percentage, there are probably more of us worshipping the idol of “self” instead of Him on any given Sunday- not to mention the rest of the week.  We should instead “seek God, if perhaps they (we) might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 1:27)  Secondly, I don’t know whether God is trying to teach us that we’ve gotten too big for our britches, and need to return to an understanding of our complete dependence upon Him or not.  But I do know that it would be a really good time to acknowledge that it is “in Him that we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:28).  If you don’t believe that, then you make it rain.  Furthermore, I don’t know whether some present-day Elijah (remember, he was a man of God) has prayed that it might not rain here or not.  But I do know that if drought is what it takes to turn us back to God, the true worship of Him, and the acknowledgement of our utter dependence upon Him, we had better be thankful and start heeding the message!  After all, even a summer’s worth of temperatures over 100 is still a lot better than an eternity in hell. 

Just to be sure to avoid any misunderstanding, I do not know why we’ve been so long without rain.  But when a person, or any group of them, is in sin, it’s always “the right time” to repent, “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man who He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”  Acts 17:30  Please think about it.

Comments (0) | September 14, 2011

Aroundtuits and Mañana

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Choices

There are some tendencies that transcend national borders. It doesn’t matter whether you speak Texan or Spanish, there is a word for “not now, maybe later.”  In Texan, the word is “aroundtuit”- as in, “When I get ‘aroundtuit’ I’ll take care of that for you.”  For those who might not speak Texan, the word “aroundtuit” does not necessarily imply that one is otherwise occupied, or otherwise unable to perform the specific task under consideration at the moment.  It just means he’s not going to do it right now! 

Furthermore, he may not ever get “aroundtuit,” but will perpetually kept the task on the “to do” list just the same.  Such reminds me of the time a fellow told me he would never beat me out of the money he owed me.  He said he might die owing me, but he wouldn’t beat me out of it!  Aroundtuits are like that too. 

Our Spanish-speaking friends have a word that doesn’t translate into aroundtuit, but it gets to the same place anyway.  Their word is “mañana.”  More properly, mañana usually refers to “in the morning” or “tomorrow”- but that’s only when it is used more properly.  When most folks say “mañana” they just mean “not now, maybe later.”  See?  Spanish-speakers have a word for aroundtuit also!

Such is all well and good as long as we’re talking about some chore the wife or the neighbor wants you to do for them.  In those cases, either “aroundtuit” or “mañana” will do depending on which language is more appropriate.  But what about if “it” is instead some duty or responsibility owed to God?  Well friend, that is a horse of a different color in any language!

Several O.T. passages stress the importance of not delaying when it comes to fulfilling our responsibilities to God:  “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6); “Give glory to the Lord your God, before He brings darkness and before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains, and while you are hoping for light He makes it into deep darkness, and turns it into gloom.”  (Jeremiah 13:16); “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the Lord you God will surely require it of you.” (Deuteronomy 23:21); and the Psalmist added, “I hastened and did not delay to keep Your commandments.” (Psalm 119:60). 

Why do you suppose so much is said in the Bible about procrastinating?  Could it be that the God who created us best knows our weaknesses and tendencies? Absitively and posolutely!  Therefore He said, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” (Proverbs 27:1).  In the Epistle of James, after echoing some of the same warnings and reasons as above, He added, “Therefore, to the one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)  The meaning of these things is pretty clear: God doesn’t accept “aroundtuits” or “mañanas”!  He expects us to read, understand, and obey His Law now while we still have the opportunity to do so.  The danger of procrastination is shown by parable in Luke 13:25, “Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’”   You can wait too long to obey the Lord.

“Aroundtuits” and “mañanas” may work with your neighbor- they may even get you by with your wife, but they won’t work with God!  Friend, if “getting right with the Lord” is on your to-do list, don’t wait until you get “aroundtuit” or until “mañana”- do it now.  “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”  (Hebrews 3:13)  Remember, “now” is the only time any of us is guaranteed.

Comments (0) | August 31, 2011

“Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayer?”

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Categories: Faith, Trust, Matthew, 1 Peter

When God answers a prayer favorably, it builds faith in the petitioner exponentially.  But when God answers a prayer unfavorably, the petitioner often surrenders his faith completely.  Why, do you suppose? 

Is our faith in God actually dependent upon Him doing everything we ask?  Such is not supposed to be the foundation of our faith!  Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and by the word of Christ.”  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is supposed to be the source of our faith- not whether He fulfills our every request. Did your parents give you everything you wanted when you were a child?  Did you doubt their love and provision for you because they said “No” to some of your requests?  Would it have been in your best interest for them to grant every immature and short-sighted demand you made?  So why should our faith in God falter when He refuses some of our appeals?  It shouldn’t- but it often does. 

But let’s take this a step further and ask, “Why doesn’t God answer my prayer?”  There can be several answers to that question:

God may not be “listening” to you.  Notice 1Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”  The Proverbial writer put it a little differently, but to the same point, “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” (Proverbs 28:9)  The point is that we cannot expect God to hear and answer our every request if we have no regard for Him and His law.  Some live with complete disregard of God until some tragedy arises, then they want to pray.  Don’t get me wrong, we certainly should pray to the Almighty during times of difficulty, but if that is the only time we care enough about God to pray, these Scriptures offer no guarantee of His hearing, let alone answering, our prayer.

You have to ask “in faith.”  When James spoke of the importance of asking God for wisdom, he added this stipulation: “But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts… let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1:6-7).  The “faith” of which James writes is in God, and His power and His willingness to provide all that we truly need.  We cannot pray, as many have, “God, if there is a God….”  To expect an answer to our prayers, we must be completely convinced in mind and heart that God exists, and will judge us eternally, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6).

You have to ask for “right” things.  Praying “in faith” surely must also include the understanding that God will not give us what is against His will, or is not in our best interest.  Why would God do for us that which is against His will?  It is an act of parental love for God to refuse to grant our requests- however righteous we are, and however sincerely we make them, if they are contrary to His perfect will, or not in our best interest. Surely we realize that our time-limited perspectives and physically-dominated requests are not always in harmony with God’s eternal wisdom and spiritual judgment.  Notice 1John 5:14, “And this is the confidence we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”   

You have to also ask with the “right” motives.  Listen carefully to James 4:3, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.”   This point seems to go right along with the previous one.  We have to ask for “right” things for the “right” reasons.  So what are “right” reasons?  Read the prayer the Lord taught the disciples in Matthew 6:9-13, then answer this: “How of many ‘things’ for which the Lord taught the disciples to pray were physical vs. spiritual?”  Now think about your prayers.  Is the content more physically or spiritually oriented?  The point is simple.  We ought to be praying for things that will help us carry out God’s will, not asking God for things to help us carry out our will.

Answered prayer is an amazingly powerful boost to our faith.  But when God says “No” or “Not now,” there is a reason.  Let’s trust His judgment in these matters, OK? 

Comments (0) | August 31, 2011